Gentleman's Club - Remastered
by BillAtWork
Summary: This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship rewrite. Hopefully experience and knowing the characters better make this a better story.
1. What Did You Say?

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _If you read the originals, the main difference, besides learning grammar (thanks BrickRoad), is Chuck's attitude towards sex. In the original, he was jealous and_ whiny _about Sarah flirting on assignments. That was definitely him when this story was first written. But it turned out that he became more mature. Later in the series, it was actually Sarah who was the most jealous._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **What Did You Say**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah arrived at Casey's a few minutes before the briefing was set to begin. Carina and Casey were already waiting in front of the monitor waiting for Washington to come live.

It had been a glorious three weeks, almost too good to be true. It had been magical at almost every level. Professionally, Fulcrum had been dealt a crushing… and probably fatal blow. It was a little too soon to claim total victory. But the information that had been seized was leading Beckman's team to more and more Fulcrum cells. They were falling like dominoes. That had Beckman so comfortable that she agreed to end their stupid cover jobs. Sarah would no longer serve yogurt to fawning teenagers half dressed in that ridiculous uniform that screamed for them to find some excuse to get her to bend over. Chuck and Casey would no longer have to work long shifts in the Buy More. It was like pennies from heaven.

But that paled compared to the personal magic. They had gone from asset and handler, pretending that their cover relationship was all business, to man and wife. They were actually married. It was like a dream come true. They had just spent an unbelievable week in Vegas. It was really hard to tell which one was happier. Chuck was actually married to the woman of his dreams. But if you had to pick, it was probably Sarah's life that had changed the most. She would freely admit that she didn't have a clue how to be a wife. But she was a fast learner… and she was committed to throw herself at any challenge. Being a perfectionist, she was dedicated to becoming the perfect wife. Until then, she'd have to make up her lack of experience with tons of sex. At least, that was her story, and she was sticking to it.

The week in Vegas was probably the only honeymoon they were going to get for a while, so they made the most of it. And while it was incredible, they were both looking forward to getting into the routine of being a married couple. It didn't hurt that Beckman had come through with a furnished apartment for them. Since the only spaces they had ever shared together were hotel rooms, they were both pretty excited as they explored their new home.

But they still had jobs to do. "Come on, Bartowski," Casey growled. "We've been back from Vegas for one day and you've flashed already?"

Chuck was in a pretty good mood. "I assume you meant me," he teased. "Since we're both named Bartowski now."

Actually, they were all in pretty good moods. "Wow," Carina piped in. "What does a flash look like? I'm dying to see one. Does it hurt?"

Sarah shook her head. Of the gang, she was probably the most reluctant to have to end their time off. "If you want to see him flash," she said. "Take him to Guido's. We're three for three. Every freaking time we go there, he flashes. I'm done with the place myself."

Just then Beckman came online. As usual, she got right to business. "Good afternoon," she began. "Mr. Bartowski, the man you flashed on at lunch today is Frank Goode. He owns a chain of gentleman's clubs across California." Beckman put his picture up on the split screen. "He is also heavily suspected to be connected to organized crime. Most specifically, prostitution, human trafficking, and cocaine distribution."

Carina was happy. She was the newbie on the team. At least her DEA experience would come in handy and allow her to make a contribution right away. "Yes, ma'am," she said. "I've heard of him… a major cocaine player. I've never heard of the human trafficking. But that's not unusual for these scumbags. He's very connected. We've never been able to lay on glove on him."

"He is very connected," Beckman agreed. "That's part of the problem. His headquarters club is in Los Angeles very close to the port area. We feel that Goode is using it as a gateway. Somehow he is smuggling the cocaine in through the port and using his clubs as distribution points. We would like your team to find out how he is doing this."

"Yes, ma'am," Casey replied.

"Mr. Bartowski," Beckman said. "Since you two are married now, Agent Walker has requested that we get your approval any time that we ask her to go undercover."

Chuck was honestly impressed. Beckman didn't ask… she gave orders. "Thank you, ma'am," he said.

"We would like agents Miller and Walker to go undercover as dancers in the club," Beckman said. "Hopefully they can get on the inside and find out what his protection is. We would want Casey and you to pose as regular patrons to cover them. Would you have a problem with that?"

Chuck considered the question. He wanted to correct her. She wasn't Agent Walker any more. But this wasn't the time. What she was asking didn't seem so bad. And to refuse the first request would be awkward. "All she would have to do is dance?" he asked. "No prostitution stuff, right, ma'am?"

"Of course," replied Beckman. "Agent Walker has made her position on that kind of activity well known."

"I guess that would be okay, ma'am," Chuck said. He looked over at Sarah for reassurance. She was looking at him with a questioning expression.

Beckman didn't give them any time to discuss things. "Excellent," she said. "Well you have your orders. Dismissed."

As soon as the screen turned blank, Sarah turned to Chuck with her mouth hanging open. "Chuck," she said. The surprise in her voice was very plain. "I can't believe that you just agreed to that."

"What?" Chuck asked. "It's just dancing. You're a great dancer. I love watching you dance. What's the big deal?"

Casey was grinning. "You do understand that she'll be topless?" he asked. "Right, genius?"

Chuck was sure that he was teasing. "Right," he scoffed. "Good one." He looked at Casey and Carina. They were laughing so hard that they had to support each other to keep from falling. "Come on guys," he protested. "This is a gentleman's club, not a strip club." He turned to Sarah. "Hey, Mrs. Bartowski, maybe you could wear the new bikini you bought in Vegas."

"Yeah," Carina said, struggling to get the words out between laughing. "But only half of it."

This sent Casey and Carina into another laughing fit.

Sarah wasn't laughing. "Chuck," she said. "Haven't you ever been in one of those gentleman's clubs before? The women dance topless."

It took a long moment for Chuck to get what she was saying. Then the color left his face. "What?" he exclaimed. "Oh, hell no. Call Beckman back right now and tell her to forget it."

Casey was trying in vain to wipe the tears from his eyes. "We can't," he said. "She's already issued the order. What in the hell were you thinking anyway?"

Chuck shook his head in frustration. "Oh hell no," he sighed. "Sarah, please tell me that there is some way out of this."

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "Chuck," she said softly. "We don't have much choice. We told Beckman that you would have to agree every time I went undercover. You told her that you agreed. She's already making the arrangements for the assignment. What can we do?"

"Oh hell no," Chuck sighed.

Carina was confused. "How is this different than the other night?" she asked. "Sarah danced and took off her clothes in front of that gang of Fulcrum dudes. That didn't bother you. She was more naked then than she will be in that club. Come on. This is what we do. This is how female agents work. It's just not that big of a deal."

"It's different," Chuck insisted. "The other night was Fulcrum. We didn't have much choice. We agreed that she would be putting on the show only for me. I promised that I would support her when it was necessary… and I will. I guess I just don't understand. You're willing to take your clothes off in front of a bunch of horny drunk men? And that's no big deal?"

Carina stopped laughing and studied him for a moment. "Chuck," she replied softly. "I just spent ten years in the DEA. They call it human trafficking. It doesn't sound so bad when you say it like that. But let's get in the car and I'll take you for a ten minute drive. I'll show you a line of fifteen year old girls trying to sell themselves to make enough money to buy their next hit of crack. Yeah, it's not Fulcrum. But it's still a war of good vs. evil. These jerks get those girls hooked and then exploit them, in the most evil ways. The sex is the least of it. We have a decent chance to bust these bastards. It's a good thing for the world. If the worst thing that happens is that I have to do is show some men my chest, I'm very happy."

"But how can you?" Chuck asked. "Don't you think it's demeaning?"

Carina grinned. "Look at me," she said. She pulled her shirt and bra up over her head in one fluid motion and dropped them to the floor. "It's really pretty easy."

Chuck looked at her standing there posing. He turned to Casey incredulously. "And you're okay with this?" he asked.

Casey smiled. "Come on, Chuck," he said. "It's her job. You have to be able to separate Sarah the agent from Sarah your wife. Of course, this is not my ideal assignment. It's not hers either. But it needs to be done. That's our duty."

Chuck wasn't convinced. He turned to Sarah. "And you're okay?" he asked. "You're okay with me standing here looking at Carina's chest? I thought you were jealous."

"Let me ask you something," Sarah said. "When you just saw Carina's chest, how did it make you feel?"

Chuck simply looked at Sarah. "I don't know what you want me to say," he said.

"I know," Sarah said with a grin. "You're looking for the husband trap. I'm not trying to trap you here. I promise. I'm trying to make a point. Forget I'm your wife for a second. She's a beautiful woman. This isn't the first time you've seen her topless. Are you hugely turned on right now? Do you want to take Carina in the bedroom and ravage her or something like that?"

Chuck shook his head. "Of course not," he replied. "For one thing, I don't want to forget that you're my wife… not for a second. But to answer your question, if anything, I'm sort of embarrassed."

How sweet was that? "And how about Carina?" Sarah continued. "She's standing there pointing her boobs at you. Do you think she is coming on to you?"

Chuck sighed. "One can never tell with Carina," he said. "But no, probably not."

"Carina's your friend," Sarah said. "Do you feel any differently about her now that you've seen her boobs… for the second and, given her history, probably not the last time?"

Chuck shook his head. "Not really," he said.

Sarah smiled. "That's exactly why I'm not jealous," she said. "This isn't a sexual experience at all. Now if Carina was alone with you. If she was showing you her chest to seduce you; that would be totally different, wouldn't it? Talk about jealous. I'd be kicking her ass around the room right now, and she knows it."

"Okay," Chuck said. "I understand. But Sarah how about you? You mean you could do that?"

Sarah reached for the hem of her shirt. Quickly enough it was on the floor next to Carina's. Her bra quickly followed. "I've been trained," Sarah answered. "Just like I can fight. Just like I can throw a knife. Just like I can do a lot of things. Men seeing me without clothes doesn't bother me at all. What is the issue? They really aren't getting anything from me. It's just skin. It's the same thing they would see if we went to the beach in Rio. Trust me on something. If you were modest when you enter the CIA Academy, you sure as hell aren't when you graduate."

"But I haven't been trained," Chuck sighed. "I get that this isn't the first time someone has seen you naked. It won't be the last. But this situation is totally different for me. In Vegas you were in control. That's not true here. You're not playing a mark. I won't always be there. You won't be putting on a show just for me. You're entertaining other men with your body. I just can't stand the thought of a bunch of horny drunk men lusting after my wife. Call me old fashioned but the only person that I want staring at your naked chest is me."

Sarah sided into him. "I know," she said. "Chuck, I agree that it is a little different. I won't have as much control as I'd like. You have every right to protest. I don't have a right to ask you to accept this. I was surprised when you agreed. There is not a single thing wrong with the way you're feeling. It's sweet. It's one of the reasons why I love you."

Casey spoke up. "I've got news for you, Bartowski," he said. "There are horny men lusting after Sarah every day that she walks down the street… fully clothed. She's beautiful. That's just the price of being with such a beautiful woman."

"I get that," Chuck sighed. "I'm usually proud of it. This is just different."

Carina smiled at him. "I have an idea," she said. "Since Chuck has never been to one of these clubs before, let's all go to one tonight. Not the one that we're targeting, of course. I mean, if Chuck's cover is going to be a regular at the club, he better have at least seen the inside of one."

"That's a good idea," Casey agreed. "I mean, he'd better know how to order a lap dance."

"Lap dance?" Chuck moaned.

"Oh hell no."

x-x-x-x-x

It had been a pretty silent drive back to their new apartment. As soon as they were inside, Sarah was trying to console Chuck. She put her head on his shoulder. "Come on, sweetie," she sighed. "Cheer up. I promise. It won't be that bad."

"Not that bad?" Chuck asked incredulously. "How can you say that? I have two words for you… lap dance. Any horny dude with twenty bucks in his pocket gets one from you. This assignment could take weeks."

Sarah looked at him for a long moment. He had a point. Taking off your clothes was one thing. Rubbing your naked body against some stranger while sitting on his lap for twenty bucks was probably across even her line. "I'm not saying it's good," she said. "You're right. It is a lot different. I wasn't looking at it from your perspective. I have to get better at that. But you have to understand something too. Right now if I gave you a lap dance, it would turn you on, right?"

Chuck looked at her like she had grown a third eye. "Of course," he said. "Even thinking about it turns me on."

Sarah smiled. That was sweet. Thinking about it was exciting for her too. She was half tempted to prove it right now. But she had a serious point to make. "And it would turn me on," she said. "It would turn me on that it turned you on. It already has. And I would predict that about half way through, we would hit the bed for some very hot sex, right?"

Chuck nodded his head. Sex with Sarah had always been out of this world. Since Vegas, their sex had become white hot. Sarah was obviously more comfortable and she had hit another gear, a truly wonderful one.

"At the club that won't happen," Sarah continued. "The men might get turned on at the club. But I won't be. I'll be secretly snickering at them. They're mostly pathetic. It won't lead to any sex. It won't be sexual at all. Understand the difference now?"

Chuck grinned. "Here hot sex, there pathetic losers walking around with hard-ons and twenty less dollars in their pants."

Sarah breathed a big sigh of relief. That he was willing to tease her about this was a very good sign. "I think you got it," she said. "Look, Chuck. This is important to me. This is what I do. It's even more important to Carina because it's where she's lived for the past ten years. We have a chance to bust some very, very bad people. But nothing is more important to me than you being okay. I get that you've had to put up with too many things already. The fact is, you've been perfect. I suck at telling you how proud that I am of you. I also get that this situation is different. There will be times when you're not there. To get on the inside, I'm probably going to have to flirt my way there in private. We're probably going to have to put up with a ton of innuendo and a few wandering hands. But, sweetie, this really has nothing to do with us or our relationship. Nothing that happens at that club can change how I feel about you. You're going to be the love of my life when I walk into that club, when I walk out of it, or if I don't go at all. You believe that, don't you?"

"Yes," Chuck said. "Of course."

Sarah grinned. "And I'm confident that watching me take some clothes off won't change the way you feel about me. But you have veto power. If you say no, it's no. So this is the only thing I'm going to ask you. Will you at least go with us tonight with an open mind? Who knows, maybe you'll have a good time. We can make it a game. It'll be like you parading me around those clubs in Vegas half dressed. You enjoyed that."

Chuck shook his head. "It's not exactly like that," he protested. "But okay, I'll try and keep an open mind."

Sarah threw her arms around Chuck's neck and squeezed. "Thank you, sweetie," she said. "It's all that I ask."

Chuck put his arms around her waist. "You haven't heard my price yet," he protested. "I think that it's important that we test your theory of a lap dance leading to hot sex, don't you?"

Sarah could hardly believe her ears. Did Chuck actually just ask her for a lap dance? That was great news. It would be a first. He was growing more comfortable. She suddenly found that her knees were weak. What was it about this man that could instantly get her so hot? "I don't know," she teased. "Are you good for the twenty bucks?"

Of course, Chuck could feel her arousal poking into his chest. She wasn't fooling anybody. She wanted this far more than he did. Gloating about it probably wasn't his finest moment. "Let's be honest," he said. "You'd gladly pay me twenty bucks." He fumbled with his phone and some music started playing. "If we're going to make this a true test, you'd strip for me first."

Sarah grinned. Unless she could learn to control it, he'd always be able to tell when she was on fire. Then again, why was that a bad thing? She had the twenty bucks… times about a million. So she reached up to kiss him, then broke the embrace and started swaying to his music.

"Absolutely."

x-x-x-x-x


	2. The Club

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Club**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was very surprised when they entered the club. He was expecting a dirty, dimly lit room with a bunch of scraggy men wearing overcoats. Instead he discovered a clean, well lit room. Many of the men were wearing jackets and ties. Except for the underdressed ladies walking around in every direction, the place could well have been mistaken for a high end sports bar. Casey, who was obviously comfortable with the surroundings, found them a table for four just off the main stage.

It was odd being here with Sarah, especially the way she was grinning. Even suggesting to Jill that they go to a strip bar would have earned him a week on the couch. The waitress arrived to take their order almost before they were seated. One look at her and Chuck realized that Sarah had been right earlier. Wearing a bra in this place would stand out. In his defense, even mostly dressed in a room full of naked women, Sarah already stood out.

"Do you have Chivas Regal scotch?" Casey asked the waitress.

Even the waitress was conditioned to flirt. "Yes, sir," she said as she flashed a warm smile.

"I'll have that neat," Casey ordered.

They had agreed to save drinking a Mai Tai only in Vegas. Of course, Sarah was already planning their next trip. "I'll just have a light beer," Carina said. "Whatever you have on tap."

"That would be Bud Lite."

"I think I'll have the same," Sarah said.

Chuck looked at her. Sarah hated beer. She said that it was fattening and tasted like ear wax. She was clearly taking care not to be tempted to drink too much. "What the hell?" Chuck sighed. "I'll take the scotch. Make mine a double."

It was only a couple of minutes before their drinks arrived. "Chuck?" Sarah asked. "Are you sure about this? You're not used to drinking Scotch."

Chuck took a big pull of his drink. It was simply awful. It tasted like chewing on a piece of charcoal. But it would do for tonight's purposes. "I'm sure there are a lot of things going to happen tonight that I'm not used to," he said as he took another pull from his drink. "Right, Casey?"

Casey grinned and held out his glass for Chuck to clink. "That's the spirit," he said. "It looks like you need another drink."

Sarah watched as Chuck downed two more drinks in quick succession. "Will you please slow down?" she pleaded. "You're going to get sick."

Chuck could already feel the effects of the liquor. "Lighten up, Sarah," he said loudly. "I'm drinking Scotch. You're not wearing a bra. It's party time."

After a few minutes Casey explained how the club worked. "You see those ladies walking around?" he asked. "One by one they rotate up on the main stage for a song or two. Otherwise they walk around giving lap dances."

Chuck had just received his first lap dance this afternoon. Certainly these women weren't going to do what Sarah had done. It would quickly be an orgy. "How does a lap dance work?" he asked.

Casey was clearly enjoying his sport. "Do you see any that you fancy?"

Sarah was looking at him expectantly. Chuck's head was spinning from the Scotch. But even approaching drunk, he knew better than to admit there was a naked woman here that he 'fancied.' "No," he said. He turned to his wife. "Maybe you should pick," he suggested. "That might make things go easier."

At least that got Sarah grinning again. She scanned the room obviously looking for a lady that wasn't Chuck's type. That eliminated the brunettes. Finally she pointed to a platinum blonde with a humongous, obviously store brought chest.

"Wait right here," Casey said. "Let's see if we can hit you with some knowledge." He walked up to the dancer Sarah had picked and whispered in her ear. Chuck could see Casey hand the lady a bill and point to Chuck.

After a moment she came over to the table. "Hi," she said softly. "My name is Summer. The big guy said you've never had a lap dance."

Chuck took a quick glance at Sarah. He really couldn't read the expression on her face. But this is why they came here, right? "Hi, Summer," he replied with a goofy smile. "It's a good name for you. You're really hot. My name is Chuck. Nope, I sure haven't."

Summer smiled and straddled Chuck on his chair, much like Sarah had at the Fulcrum safe house. "It's nice to meet you, Chuck," she said as she began to unbutton her top. "Let's see if we can fix that."

It was beyond surreal. He could feel Sarah's leg resting against his. And yet there was a naked woman rubbing her huge chest against his… well, pretty much against his everything.

The rest of the night was pretty much a blur to Chuck. All he could remember was Casey ordering him another drink every time his glass was empty and another dance every time his lap was empty. Between them, they were keeping Summer pretty busy. Chuck quickly lost count of how many of each. Even though Sarah was sitting next to him the entire night, Chuck didn't notice her building anger. Finally Carina, who was paying attention, noticed Sarah's mood, and spoke up. "I think it's time that we got out of here," she said. The look that she threw at Casey couldn't possibly be mistaken for loving.

Casey received the message loud and clear. "I'll go get the car," he said as he virtually ran out of the club.

Chuck tried to put his arm around Sarah as they walked out of the club but she was much too quick for him. Instead Sarah grabbed Chuck's wrist and pulled him along. "Sarah," he whined.

"You're kind of hurting my wrist."

x-x-x-x-x

Even though Chuck had a lot to drink, he could tell that Sarah was pissed. Of course, it wasn't that hard. Casey could tell. Carina could tell. Passing traffic could tell that Sarah was pissed. She didn't say a word to Chuck on the drive home and sat on the other side of the seat as far away from him as she could get. As soon as they entered the apartment Chuck turned to her. "You're obviously upset," he said. "Tell me what's wrong."

It was probably the wrong thing to say. But in his defense, there probably wasn't a right thing to say at this point. She was really pissed. "Really, Chuck," Sarah hissed. "You're really asking me what's wrong? Are you really this clueless? Well here's a list. First, you're drunk as a skunk. Second, there's the little matter of the four lap dances. Third, you looked to be enjoying them."

Chuck's head was spinning as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. "Wait a minute," he protested. "This was your idea. I didn't want to go in the first place."

That got Sarah even madder. "Of course," she said. "That's classic. Blame this on me. It wasn't my idea for you to have four double Scotch's."

Okay, so now Chuck was mad. She was being unfair. "How else do you think I could have gotten through tonight?" he asked.

"It sure looked like you were doing fine to me," Sarah snapped.

Now Chuck was officially pissed. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked harshly.

"Come on, Chuck," Sarah replied angrily. "Four lap dances? I could see one or two but four?"

"Wait a minute," Chuck insisted. "I didn't ask for any of them. Casey kept sending her over. What was I supposed to do?"

"Chuck," Sarah snapped. "Come on. I could see your face. At least when it wasn't stuck in her chest. You were enjoying it. Tell me I'm wrong."

Now Chuck was furious. He did something as a favor to her, and now she was yelling at him about it. She wasn't being at all fair. So he yelled back. "Isn't that what you wanted?" he asked hotly. "For me to be fine with this? Isn't that what you're going to be doing tomorrow? Explain it to me Sarah. I don't understand."

Sarah got directly in his face. "Here's the difference, dumb ass," she snapped. "For me it's a job. I'm not going to enjoy it. You did. If I enjoyed it, then I would be cheating on you."

Chuck sat in thought. Carrying her logic to its conclusion… "Are you saying that I cheated on you tonight?" he asked. "Because I thought you were sitting right there."

Sarah didn't back down a bit. "In a way, yes," she said. "In a way you cheated on me. You let another girl turn you on."

Now this was serious. There wasn't much worse that she could say to him than accuse him of cheating on her. So he lowered the rancor in his voice. "Come on, Sarah," he sighed. "You know that I would never cheat on you. I'm trying to figure this out. You're going to have to help me. I can't see the difference between what I did tonight and what you're going to ask me to do tomorrow. And I'm not that drunk. I went to Stanford for goodness sake. I've been a lot drunker than this."

Sarah still didn't back down. "The difference," she snapped. "Is that tomorrow you'll be working. As will I. If you get a lap dance tomorrow, it will be as a cover. You won't enjoy it. You'd better not anyway."

So now Chuck was more confused than angry. "Come on, Sarah," he sighed. "You're being unfair. I didn't enjoy it tonight. She was kinda gross. It was the most awkward time of my life. Do you really think I was turned on? I was thinking about you the entire time. I was more turned on in the car going over there then I was in that club. Why do you think I enjoyed it? Because I had a smile on my face? I was trying to do what I'm going to be doing on our assignment. I was working on my cover. Isn't that why we went tonight? Aren't you going to be smiling tomorrow when you're dancing?"

Sarah just stood staring for a long moment as his words hit her between the eyes. Finally she spoke. "Chuck," she said. "You're absolutely right. Oh my God. I just did what I've been telling you all day not to do. I looked at the smile on your face and assumed you were having a good time."

Chuck nodded and held out his arms. Sarah quickly threw her face into Chuck's chest. "I have a confession to make," she said. "I never really got why this was such a big deal to you. I've never understood it until just now. Is this what you're going to be feeling tomorrow? It's awful. I can't make you feel like that, Chuck. I can't. I won't do it. I'll call Beckman tomorrow and cancel. I can't put you through that.'

Chuck held her close. This brief fight had ultimately been a good thing. Now she understood how much it sucked. "Forget me for a minute," he said softly. "Forget Beckman and your sense of duty. Do you think you can honestly do that? Talk to me. You know that I'll do anything for you. What do you want to do? Not Beckman. Not me. Just you."

Sarah looked up at Chuck through the tears she was trying to blink away. "I don't think I can do that," she said. "We're one now. I can't separate me from you. You're everything to me. Look, I joined the CIA to make a difference in the world. This is important. A year ago I would have searched out things like this and done it without question. But my priorities have changed. I can't put you through that."

"Sarah," Chuck said. "That's exactly why I'll get through it."

Sarah shook her head. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't expect this from you. I couldn't do it. I know that now."

Chuck rubbed her back affectionately. "You have to know that the only place I wanted to be tonight," he said. "Is cuddled with you on our new couch. I'm not going to lie to you. Watching you give lap dances to other men will be hard for me. Knowing that it's happening without me being there will be worse. But it is a sacrifice that we have to make. It's worth it. So, yes. If that's what you want to do, I'm sure."

Sarah collapsed into him in relief. "You're perfect," she said. "Chuck how could you possibly be so perfect? I know it's hard. But you'll get through it. You're too good of a person."

"It's still going to be hard," Chuck said softly. "It has nothing to do with you. I trust you. The hard part is watching every eye on you. Knowing what they're thinking. I know because I've been there. I've had those same thoughts about you."

"Who cares what they think?" Sarah said softly. "It doesn't matter what they think. I belong only to you. That's going to be true for the rest of my life. Yes, men lust after me. That's true. It's been true ever since I graduated from the Academy. I can't stop that. Sometimes I wish I could. It's annoying. It's going to be true tomorrow if I dance naked at a club or if I go to the grocery store fully clothed. The only way you're going to stop that is to keep me locked up in the apartment. But the good news is that I've learned that I can use that lust and maybe stop some bad, bad people from doing evil things. I get that you're the one who pays most of the price for that. That breaks my heart. You're the last person in the world I want to hurt. All I can say is that I promise to be more sensitive to it and try to do a better job of letting you know how much I truly worship you."

Chuck smiled. "One thing is for sure," he teased. "If what I saw tonight is any indication, you're going to be a superstar."

That got them laughing. "Thanks," Sarah said."

They just held each other. After a moment Chuck turned to Sarah. "Can I ask you a question?" he asked? "Have you done this before? I mean, I'm not asking you for any details. I know that you can't tell me that. But just in general."

"I've never danced in a strip club," Sarah said. "But if you're asking me if I've let men see me without many clothes for cover, then yes. Quite a few times. You're wrong about not talking about it. You fully deserve to know every single detail. Chuck, please don't hesitate to ask me things like that. I want to set the record straight. Yes, I've used my body. You've seen that happen. But I'm honestly better at kicking men's asses than seducing them. For a few years, my nickname was The Enforcer."

Chuck squeezed her tight. "I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk, I'm here," he said. "No matter how awful you think it is, you can trust me. I'll understand."

That got Sarah grinning. "I do know that," she said as she hugged him back. "You're perfect."

"I'm hardly perfect," Chuck protested.

"You're perfect," Sarah insisted. "I'm afraid that I'm not going to be talked out of this one. It's so great. I've never had anything like this before in my life. Now, I can't imagine how it was before. Fair warning. Some of the things I'm going to tell you are awful. I think I'm about ready to start taking you up on that."

"Anytime," Chuck said. "I'm not going to press you. Please just know that I'm here and that you can tell me anything."

Sarah was still grinning. "We still have a serious problem," she said. "There's still the issue of my apology for getting mad at you. I'm bad at words. I guess that only leaves sex. Would that be okay?"

Chuck looked at her skeptically. He could already feel her poking into his chest. "Was that a trick question?" he asked.

That got Sarah giggling helplessly. "You wanted to cuddle on our new couch tonight," she said. She pushed him, not so gently, until he was sitting on the couch. "I'm afraid cuddling isn't enough apology. We're going to have to come up with something stronger. How about if I give you something to compare to your other four experiences?"

Chuck simply smiled up at her.

"Before I start," Sarah teased. "I just to make sure that you understand the difference between tonight and what I'll be doing at the club. You do understand, right?"

Chuck grinned up at her. "Of course," he said. "I understand the difference. I don't have to pay you. I save twenty bucks. It's better than a Taco Bell coupon."

That got Sarah giggling helplessly again. "No, Chuck," she said. "That's not the difference. Maybe you could try again."

"Oh, I know," Chuck said excitedly. "At the club there will be a ton of frustrated guys walking around wishing they had twenty more dollars. Tonight is because you love me. You're going to work off your guilt by thinking up unspeakable acts too numerous and erotic to count, to perform for my amusement until I've forgotten my own name and I'm too sated to stumble into the bedroom and collapse on the bed."

Sarah was still giggling helplessly. "You really think that challenging me here is a good idea?" she asked as she began to unbutton her blouse. "Mr. Bartowski, I really don't think you have a clue how dangerous the game is that you're currently playing. Don't come crying to me when you don't know your own name or you need help to get to the bed. Besides. You are so going to pay me. Just not with money."

"Enjoy the show."

x-x-x-x-x


	3. Sisters

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Sisters**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah were walking to the car on their way to Casey's. They had agreed last night that Casey and Chuck would go to the club and work on their cover. Carina had pointed out that it made some sense for the guys to be seen there. Especially, since they were supposed to be regulars. Since the girls weren't scheduled to start dancing for a couple of days, they decided to spend a few hours there each day until then. "Um, Sarah," Chuck asked hesitantly as they approached the Porsche. "Do you think that maybe I could drive?"

Sarah did an obvious double take. "What?" she asked. "Are you serious? You really want to drive my car? I'm sorry, Chuck, but nobody drives the Porsche except me."

Chuck knew that asking to drive her car was a long shot. "I understand," he said sadly. "I was just hoping all that 'For Richer, For Poorer' stuff included everything. I guess not."

Sarah stood still for a long moment. Yeah, he was laying a guilt trip on her. That was pretty obvious. But the truth was, he was right. Finally she sighed. "Okay, Chuck," she said begrudgingly as she tossed him the keys. "You're right. It's not my car, it's our car. I'm sorry. If you ever had any lingering doubts about how I feel about you, this should erase them. Nobody drives the Porsche."

Chuck hopped into the car with a huge grin. "Thanks," he replied. "I just have one question. What is this third pedal for?"

Sarah's eyes got big. "You've never driven a stick shift before?" she asked in horror. "Chuck, this isn't a good car to learn on. It's far too powerful. Maybe we can rent a regular car for you to practice on and then when you…" Sarah finally looked at his face. "Very funny," she said.

Chuck was laughing as he started the car. "I thought it was," he said as he pushed in the clutch and gently revved the high performance engine. "Trust me. I do understand that if I expect any sex in the next month or so, I know exactly how careful I should be."

Sarah was honestly very nervous on the drive over to Casey's. She had never been in the passenger's seat before and fought the urge several times to yell as Chuck approached other cars. Finally, she had to admit to herself that Chuck was doing fine. In fact, he looked pretty damn sexy behind the wheel. Of course, at this point, that kind of thinking wasn't helpful. It would be several hours before she'd be able to do anything about it. Maybe someday she'd be able to look at him for two minutes without turning into some aroused, sex maniac.

Of course Chuck noticed. "Really?" he asked. "Now?"

Sarah's face turned noticeably red. Why did her chest always react this way? It never had before. Certainly she had been aroused before she met Chuck. There was just something about him that got her motor instantly running. She'd have to figure this out. Chuck would be at the club. If this happened while she was dancing topless, it would send entirely the wrong message to entirely the wrong group of people. "I don't know," she sighed. "You just get me going. I'm sorry. I'm out of control."

It certainly wasn't anything to be sorry about. Chuck pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car. "Tell me," he said sheepishly. "Has Bryce ever driven this car?"

And there it was. His jealousy of Bryce was always going to be there at some level. At least, today, she could deliver an effective lesson. Sarah shook her head decisively. "Never close," she said. "At first, he begged constantly. It was a real source of tension between us for a long while. Bryce was never one to take no for an answer. But finally he thankfully got the message and stopped asking."

Sarah's smile turned into a broad grin. "So, Mr. Bartowski," she said. "You're well known to take small details and analyze their meaning to death. I have a detail for you to analyze to death. Bryce, the guy you always seem to be internally competing with, was never allowed to drive my car. It drove him crazy. This afternoon, we're going to go get you your own set of keys. This car belongs to you every bit as much as it belongs to me. You don't ever have to ask for permission to drive it. I think my chest is screaming what watching you drive is doing to me. In case there is any ambiguity, it doesn't mean I'm unhappy. I'd love to hear your analysis of what this development means."

Of course she was teasing. But her point was still very, very valid. So Chuck grinned back and considered the question. "Well," he said thoughtfully. "There are several possibilities. The car is older now. Maybe you don't care about it as much."

Sarah shook her head. "Not true," she said. "I get a new one from the CIA every year. That's a little past due. Maybe we can go together this afternoon and pick out our new one. Even if that did happen to be true, it doesn't explain the chest. What else you got?"

Chuck paused again in faux thought. "I suppose that you could think that I'm a better driver," he said. "But that wouldn't make much sense. Bryce is much better at the physical things. The chest is a wild card. I guess the only reasonable explanation is that you're in love with me when you never were with him."

That got them both laughing. "I think that I agree with that analysis," Sarah said. "Very nice work. Perhaps the next time you're tempted to compare yourself unfavorably to Agent Larkin, you could remember this conversation. Maybe take the Porsche out for a little spin. After you're done, come talk to me for five minutes and allow my out of control chest to remind you that, with me anyway, you're not in the same league."

The truth was that she was absolutely right. The car was a far bigger deal to her than she was admitting. Even the chest said volumes. What could Chuck possibly say to that? "Thanks," he said. "That really helps me. I'm embarrassed."

Sarah nodded. His insecurity with Bryce was a little cute. But it was also a little frustrating and a lot silly. Hopefully this was a breakthrough. "Don't thank me," she said. "All I'm doing is telling you what I think is painfully obvious. I just realized something today. Loving a car is silly. It's a machine. If something happens to it, we'll just get it fixed. It can't love me back. What I love is you."

Chuck reached out and grabbed her hand. "I know," he said. "I love you too. Now that I've quit the Buy More, I'll have to turn in the Herder. Maybe we should talk about buying another car."

Sarah nodded her head in agreement. "I'll talk to Washington," she said. "We can look for one this afternoon. Since the Herder had some special mods, maybe they'll give us something to take on missions. We can't be taking Casey's car. That thing screams cop car from here to Ohio."

"I like Casey's car," Chuck protested. "If I remember right, we were getting pretty comfortable in the back seat. As fabulous as the Porsche is, I don't see sex in the back seat in our future anytime soon. That might become an issue if your chest continues to be out of control."

He was right about that. Unless you were two feet tall or a professional contortionist, sex in the Porsche was simply impossible. But Sarah knew that if she agreed, he'd ask her how she knew. The truth was that she had purposely initiated several attempts on assignments counting on the fact that they would prove to be impossible. That discussion would be awkward. Why ruin such a nice moment? They could have that discussion later. "Probably not," she said. "But we could do that in a lot of cars."

"I think a smaller one would even be better."

x-x-x-x-x

As they entered Casey's, Carina was standing there to greet them. "Hi," she said tentatively. "How did it go last night? I'd ask if you guys were still fighting, but Sarah's chest already answered that."

Sarah grinned as she considered how much to tell her with Chuck standing there. Carina was something of a self-proclaimed mentor in the area of well executed sex acts. Maybe bragging about the details of her performance last night would be best in private. "No," she said. "I think we've reached an understanding. As a matter of fact I think I'd like to talk to our other partner about that. Where is he?"

Carina knew that look she was flashing. Until Sarah found Chuck, their discussions about sex had been pretty much one sided. At least the girl was starting to carry her own weight. "He's in the kitchen," Carina said. "He's been staying out of my way. And don't go easy on him. He has it coming."

As soon as Sarah stomped out of the room, Carina walked up to Chuck. "Relax," she said with a grin as she saw the concern on Chuck's face. "I promise I'm not coming on to you. We just haven't been alone in a while and I wanted to thank you. I promise to keep my shirt on."

"Thank me?" Chuck questioned. "Thank me for what?"

Carina didn't hesitate. She threw her arms around him. "For saving my best friend," she said.

Chuck still wasn't sure what Carina was up to. "What do you mean?" he asked. "When did I save Sarah? It's her that is always saving me."

Carina squeezed him tightly. "Not this time," she insisted. "Sarah might save you physically sometimes but it's you that saved her. I was so worried about her. She was wondering through life all alone and sad. She didn't think her life had any value. She was throwing it away taking more and more foolish chances. Now she's like a different person. There's this glow about her. Her feet aren't touching the ground… and that's all because of you. You saved her. You're really a hero."

Carina couldn't have possibly said anything better to him. It got him grinning broadly. "Well," Chuck said. "I'm not really sure that's true. But believe me. If it is, then it was totally my pleasure."

"It's true," Carina insisted. "If anything, I'm starting to worry that she might lose focus as an agent."

Chuck nodded. He worried about that too. They lived in a high octane world. If Sarah lost even a bit of her edge, she would become vulnerable. "That's why I'm so happy that you've joined the team," he said. "You can keep her head in the game. I don't think there is much cause for concern though. Sarah has a switch in her head. When she's in agent mode, nothing else matters."

So now it was Chuck that couldn't have said anything better. "I hope you're right," Carina said. "We worked together for years. That switch was always stuck in the 'on' position. We'll see soon enough if she can switch it back on. Trust me. When Agent Walker is on her game, she is a sight to behold."

"I'm really looking forward to it."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah marched up to Casey in the kitchen. "I want to talk about your mission today," she said with zero humor in her tone. "I expect you to be watching out for Chuck. I don't expect any repeat of last night."

"Good morning, Walker," Casey replied sarcastically. "It's nice to see you too."

"I'm serious," Sarah snapped. "I let last night slide, but strip clubs are one area where I'm not comfortable with you giving Chuck the benefit of your vast experience."

"You let last night slide?" Casey asked sarcastically. "Walker, you could have started a campfire with your head. And we weren't even technically on a mission last night."

Sarah shook her head. "As long as he's the Intersect, we're always on a mission," she insisted. "I'm amazed that I have to tell you this. Your job is to protect Chuck. Not to see how much Scotch you can pour down him or how many sluts you can rub up against him."

Casey shook his head. Okay, maybe she had a point. They weren't on vacation anymore. The new Sarah might be kinder and gentler in some ways. But when Chuck was concerned, she was still a mama lioness that you didn't want to piss off. "Don't worry," Casey sighed. "I already have that message loud and clear. My neck is still sore from sleeping on the couch."

Sarah was convinced that her message had been received. "Good," she said.

"As long as we're on the same page."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah and Casey joined Chuck and Carina back in the family room. Sarah turned to Carina. "What are you going to do while the guys are away?" she asked. "I promised to spend the afternoon with Ellie. I'm feeling bad that you are stuck here alone. Do you want to come?"

Carina started giggling. "A girl talk, sister fest?" she asked. "I think I'd rather shoot myself and slowly bleed to death. Don't worry. I have a ton of paperwork from my last DEA assignment to catch up on."

Sarah grinned back at her. The truth was, this would be a new experience for her as well. Unlike Carina, she was looking forward to it. And Carina was famous for dodging paperwork. Beckman had made the point to her… very clearly.

Carina turned to Casey. "I'll expect a full report," she said. "There's a nice warm bed in there tonight if I like what I hear. Do we understand each other?"

Casey nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Thank you, ma'am. Trust me. I've learned my lesson." He turned to Sarah with a gleam in his eyes. "You're not going over to Ellie's like that?" he teased. "She might get the wrong idea. Maybe you should drag Bartowski into the spare bedroom and get this over with."

Sarah ignored his shot and kissed Chuck goodbye. "No Scotch today," she said. "Right?"

That got Chuck laughing. "Don't worry," he said. "The only fun I'm going to have today is telling Casey how we made up last night."

Sarah considered that for a moment. "Do you think he'll believe you?" she teased. "I was there and I'm not sure that I believe it."

"I have great news," Chuck said to Casey as they were walking out the door. "Sarah says that we can take the Porsche." Of course he saw her look and grinned at her. Driving the Porsche was one thing. Driving it home from a strip club after drinking was probably another.

"I'm just kidding."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah really didn't know what to expect. In some ways, she was dreading it. But in other's she was looking forward to it. Regardless, this had to happen. Ellie was much too close to Chuck to ignore. When she married Chuck, she also married Ellie… and Devon… and to some extent even Morgan. Being part of a family was like being a wife… something she never allowed herself to seriously hope for and didn't have a clue how to handle. She knew herself well enough to know that she usually ran from those kinds of uncomfortable situations. She couldn't run from this one. So she lightly knocked on the door as she opened it. "Hi, Ellie," she called. "Are you here?"

She had clearly just jumped into the deep end of the pool. "Sarah!" Ellie cried as she came out of nowhere and engulfed Sarah in a huge bear hug. "Mrs. Bartowski. Welcome to the family. I'm so happy to see you, I could cry."

At least Chuck had warned her about the hugs. Sarah really wasn't a hugger, but in this case she had little choice. There was nothing to do but to return it. "Thanks," Sarah said while struggling to breathe through the intense hug. "I'm happy to see you too."

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time," Ellie sighed. "I finally have a sister."

"I've been looking forward to this too," Sarah replied. "Although I have to admit that I'm scared to death."

Ellie finally released Sarah from her death grip. "I'm scared a little too," she admitted. "It's only natural, right? You have been dating Chuck for a year, but we haven't spent ten minutes alone together. I have to tell you, Sarah. I was worried. Your relationship wasn't really moving forward. Frankly, I was starting to doubt that you were ever going to get serious. Then bam… you're married and I have a new sister. It was a little fast."

In spite of the tension, Sarah had to smile. No kidding, right? Ellie hadn't explicitly asked a question. But her meaning was clear. She was skeptical. Why wouldn't she be? In a way, Sarah was glad. Ellie was just as protective of Chuck as she was. That was never a bad thing. The very last thing that Sarah could say was that their relationship had been a cover. But she also knew that she had to answer Ellie's unasked question if they were ever going to move forward. Fortunately, Sarah had the truth on her side. "I really do love him," she said.

Ellie smiled at her. "Sarah, I'm not questioning that," she said. "It's been obvious from almost the first day. But you have to admit, you went from zero to sixty in like three seconds."

Sarah smiled at the metaphor. "I do admit it," she said. "That is all on me. Chuck would have moved forward a long time ago. I wouldn't let us. The truth is, I didn't believe in love. It was for schoolgirls and dreamers. I was taught that the only person you could depend on is yourself. So when I started feeling things that I couldn't explain, I denied it for as long as I could. I was scared, didn't know what to do. I even got mad at him and pushed him away."

Ellie nodded. "It was obvious that you were struggling," she said.

Sarah took a deep breath. "I was panicked," she said. "But, Ellie, here's the thing. He just wouldn't go away. Long after most men would have moved on, Chuck just put up with all of my crap and silently loved me, even when I was giving him next to nothing and telling him that it was never going to happen. At some level, I think that he knew. But it was getting harder and harder to deny. He was wearing down my defenses. Finally, I knew that something had to change. I was in love with the nicest man in the world. But I was still scared and miserable. So I finally believed in love… and found out that it can suck… make you wish you had never been born. I really had no choice. I was hurting this amazing man, who I didn't deserve, but loved me anyway. So, about a month ago, I had no choice. I was defeated. I finally gave in. And I discovered something wonderful, something that I didn't expect. Love can also make you feel like your feet aren't touching the ground. Ellie, every second has been magical since then. Chuck is my life. I could never go back to the miserable way it was before."

Ellie was trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. Quickly enough they were hugging again. But Sarah knew she couldn't stop there. "I discovered something else," she said. "Marrying Chuck meant marrying his family. I've never had a family, not really. So here I am hugging my new sister who I barely know. I'll admit. I'm intimidated. My honest reaction is to run out of here and never look back. But that's not going to work. You're too important to Chuck to ignore. And since Chuck is now my life, anything that's important to him is important to me. I'll freely admit that I don't have a clue what to do. But I'd like to work at getting closer."

Ellie released her hold and smiled. "I'd like that too," she said. "Why on earth would you be intimidated?"

Sarah breathed a big sigh of relief. Ellie was making this as easy as she could. "You're joking, right?" she asked. "Just look at you. Ellie, you're the most impressive woman I've ever met. Forget that you're beautiful. You raised your brother on your own. You're a great cook. And let's not forget, putting yourself though medical school and becoming a brilliant doctor at the same time. I wouldn't be able to do any of those things. You're sort of my hero."

Ellie started laughing. "Maybe I should admit that you intimidate me too," she said. "Sarah, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You should be an actress. I feel pretty plain standing next to you. Let me tell you something. You saved my brother's life. You have made him happier than I've ever thought he could be. You're sort of my hero."

Ellie walked into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "This is pretty ridiculous," she said. "I know that we really don't know each other that well. But we need to fix that. The best way to bond is to get sloppy drunk together. I have three bottles of this wine. We're not going to stop drinking until we can hug without being intimidated."

Sarah grinned. She was right. It was a little early to be drinking, but a little wine wouldn't hurt at all. She picked up her glass and agreed.

"Or we pass out."

x-x-x-x-x


	4. New Developments

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **New Developments**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck looked around as Casey led him into the club. It was more than a little disconcerting. This place was by the docks. Last night, all the men were well dressed, most wearing ties. Here most of the men looked to be rugged dock workers, dressed in t-shirts. It wasn't the kind of place where he was comfortable sitting, much less watching his wife dance topless.

Casey didn't seem to be fazed. "The best way to get noticed as a regular," he said. "Is that you throw a lot of money around. Trust me. In these kinds of places, money talks loud and clear. Let me know if you flash on something."

Chuck nodded.

Casey wasn't in a very good mood. When the waitress came, he ordered them two beers. "And nurse your drink," he growled. "We can't go home drunk. I'm not sleeping on that couch again tonight. How did it work out for you last night, by the way? I've never seen Walker that pissed. Did you have to sleep on the couch too?"

Chuck was waiting for that question. "Actually we made up," he said. "She wanted to play a new version of scrabble. Well, that might not be exactly true. You couldn't really call it a game. This was a new thing she wanted to try to make up for getting mad. She made all of the moves. I suppose, technically, you've have to call it a presentation. I have to say, the girl is a genius with those letters… if you know what I mean?"

Casey just looked at him for a long while shaking his head. "This sucks," he muttered to himself. "I sleep on the sofa… and he…"

While Chuck was enjoying his sport, he had been looking around the bar. He locked eyes with a man sitting at another table. Suddenly he flashed.

Casey noticed the flash right away. "Well?" he asked.

"See the man sitting at the table with the dark blue shirt?" Chuck asked. "His name is Joel Matlin. He is a major player… cocaine smuggler… has a ton of connections to organized crime… human trafficking… some other really sicko stuff. All in all, not a real nice guy."

Casey grinned. "The Intersect is a wonderful thing," he said. "Ten minutes and we've found out who the supplier is. We'll tell the girls to get close to him. Nice work, Bartowski."

The idea of Sarah getting close to this animal wasn't exactly comforting. Unfortunately, Chuck didn't have time to register a protest, which was just as well, because it would have been laughed at anyway. Two ladies walked up. "Would you boys be interested in a dance?" one of them asked with the required flirty grin.

Casey just nodded with a grin of his own.

"Why else do you think we'd be here?"

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah had to admit one thing. Ellie was a genius. They were on the second bottle of wine and both were starting to feel pretty relaxed.

"Don't forget about tomorrow," Ellie said. "Is there anybody you want to invite to your shower that I don't know about?"

Ellie had offered to throw her a wedding shower. The truth was, that would be uncomfortable for Sarah. But there was no talking Ellie out of it. She said it was one of the duties involved in being a sister. So Sarah gave in and laughed. "The only girls I know here are Anna and Carina," she said. "I'm sure you've already invited Anna."

"Who is Carina?" Ellie asked. "What's she like?"

Wow. Talk about a question. What was Carina like? It needed a day's answer or none at all. "I forgot," Sarah said. "You don't know about Carina, do you? She's an old friend of mine from D.C. She just moved here. Chuck fixed her up with Casey and they seem to be hitting it off pretty well. I think she is staying with him."

Ellie's face showed a noticeable blush. "She is with John?" she asked.

An hour ago, Sarah would have let this slide. But the bottle and a half of wine had done its intended job. "What's going on?" she asked.

Ellie just looked at her for a long moment. But she had consumed just as much wine and started giggling. "I can't believe that I'm admitting this to you," she said. "But I've always had kind of a crush on John. Don't get me wrong. I love Devon to death. I would never come close to doing anything. But I have to admit. The thought has crossed my mind a time or two. That strong silent type really gets to me."

At first, Sarah was sure that she was teasing. Then she realized… she wasn't. "You have the hots for John Casey?" Sarah asked. "Eww. I never thought I would hear that from you. Or anybody to tell the truth."

They were both still giggling helplessly. "Please tell me you won't say anything," Ellie pleaded. "Not even to Chuck. I'd die if this got out. It would cause issues with Devon. And nothing is ever going to happen. Sister's honor."

If there was one thing that Sarah was very good at, it was keeping a secret. Keeping one from Chuck was a grey area. But this was probably okay. "Ellie," she said. "Anything that happens today is between us. Sister's honor. Besides, no one would believe me anyway."

Ellie was still giggling. "Okay," she said. "Your turn. Who do you secretly have the hots for?"

Sarah considered the question. Ellie wouldn't believe the truth. At one time, she found Bryce attractive. Who didn't? Now, he was sort of disgusting. "I know that you're not going to believe this," she said. "Chuck is pretty much all I think about. He has been keeping me so busy; I haven't had the time or energy to think about another man."

Ellie looked at her. "Actually, I do believe it," she said. "You're clearly lovesick. It's sweet. Sarah, there is no crime in noticing that another man is attractive. Just make sure I'm the first one you tell."

"It's not a crime," Sarah agreed. "Lots of men are attractive. Devon is very attractive. I just have a hard time thinking about him in that way. Ellie, I've been hit on by smooth talking attractive men enough to last a lifetime. I found Chuck. He is everything I'll ever want. If it ever happens, I promise, you'll be the first to know. Check back with me in ten years."

Ellie was plainly impressed. "Okay," she said. "You're not getting off the hook here on some sisterly dish. Let's get to the good stuff. Tell me how Chuck proposed. I want details."

Normally Sarah would have been uncomfortable sharing such an intimate moment. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was the bonding. But she felt like bragging him up. "Ellie," she sighed. "It was the most romantic thing. I was sitting right where you are now. We were talking about my job. All of a sudden Chuck starts telling me about another job... about how good of a mother he thinks I'll be. Then he started describing the little girl he sees me with someday. Then he knelt next to me and asked if he could be that little girl's father."

Ellie was clearly impressed. "Wow," she said. "Who knew that little brother could be so smooth. Nobody could listen to that and not jump on him. So did you go for it right here on the couch?"

That got them both giggling again. "No," Sarah said. "We were too afraid that you and Devon would walk in."

Ellie was still giggling. "But you did go for it," she said. "Didn't you?"

"Actually," Sarah admitted. "That's pretty much all we've been doing. I was meaning to ask you, Dr. Bartowski. I find myself almost constantly on fire. Is it normal to be so aroused all the time?"

Ellie grinned. "It's not normal," she said. "It's extraordinary. It's new and exciting. Enjoy it."

"Here's the thing," Sarah protested. "It doesn't feel like it's new at all. It feels like we've been together forever. Ellie, he's so generous, so patient and loving. My style is to rip his clothes off and get into it quickly. He's the one who slows me down. Where ever he goes, he makes sure that I'm right there with him. Sometimes I almost wish I could get him to be selfish so I could prove something to him. But that's not Chuck. Ellie, every time… every single time, it gets better. He's perfect."

Ellie was wrong a minute ago. Now she was impressed. "You really have something special," she said. "Devon proposed to me on this couch too. Maybe it's our lucky couch."

"I know," Sarah said. "Chuck and I were watching you through the window. It looked very romantic too."

"I remember Chuck coming in," Ellie said. "If you were here, why didn't you come in?"

"I thought that should be a family thing," Sarah said sadly.

"Sarah," Ellie said. "You should have come in. I've thought of you as family for a long time."

Sarah smiled sadly. "I know," she said. "I appreciate that. I really do. But I didn't feel like I deserved to be family. That was about the peak of the time when I was messed up. I didn't know what to do. I had been putting Chuck through hell. Thank goodness he hung in there."

Suddenly they were hugging again. "So," Ellie said. "I think that it's official. We're bonding. We're now sisters."

Sarah collapsed into her. It felt great. "It's official," she agreed. "Thank you."

Ellie was grinned at her. "Why are you thanking me?" she asked. "This is just as special for me. Isn't this wine wonderful?"

"It really is," Sarah answered.

"And you don't have to be a doctor to prescribe it."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey was right about how to get attention at a strip club. Big tipping had generated a steady stream of ladies to their table. Finally after several dances, Chuck turned to him. "How much longer do we have to stay here?" he asked. "This is brutal. I don't think I can pretend to enjoy this much longer."

That got Casey laughing. "Hang in there, slugger," he said. "We're supposed to be rich regulars. A few more minutes, then we can get out of here."

"How can men possibly enjoy this?" Chuck asked. "This seems so cheap… so tawdry. Paying some bored woman twenty bucks to rub her chest against you? It's creepy. I can't imagine anything being less sexy."

Casey stopped laughing. "Here's the deal," he said. "None of these men have a Sarah waiting for them at home. You're the lucky one. Be sure to remember that."

Just them a lady walked up to Chuck and asked him if he wanted a dance. Chuck forced the smile. "Sure," he said. After the dance was over the woman leaned in and whispered into Chuck's ear.

Casey could see the flush appear on Chuck's face and the fake smile disappear. "What was that?" he asked.

Chuck sighed. "She invited me to the back room," he said sadly. "She said that for a hundred bucks we could really party." Actually, he was being a little coy. She had been much more graphic in her offer.

That got Casey laughing again. "My, my, my," he said. "Drugs and prostitution on the same visit? This has been a very productive day. Do you have a hundred left? We need to find out exactly what she means by party." He laughed even harder at the look of horror on Chuck's face. "Relax, kid," he said. "I'm just teasing. Let's get out of here."

"We can't tell Sarah about this," Chuck sighed.

Casey was till laughing. "One thing you need to learn," he said. "If you tell your wife that a hooker approached you on a mission, she may not like it. But if your partner, Agent Walker, ever finds out that you withheld information about a mission from her, wow."

"Be prepared to die."

x-x-x-x-x

"Ellie," Sarah asked. "What do you think about Chuck going back to Stanford and finishing his degree?"

"If that's what he wants to do, I think that's great," Ellie said. "Is there a problem? You sound like you're not that enthusiastic."

"I would be," Sarah admitted. "He really doesn't need a degree. He really never has to get a job. It still would be great for his self-esteem. Maybe he could slay some demons from his past that would be good for him. But I just found out that Jill is a math professor there. Chuck is going to have to take her math class to graduate."

"And you're jealous?" Ellie asked?

Sarah just looked at her for a long time. "I'm insanely jealous," she sighed. "All I can see right now is green. I'd love nothing better than to drive to Stanford right now and scratch her eyes out. Ellie, Chuck doesn't know how strongly I feel about this. He has never given me a shred of a reason to be jealous. I just know that he loved her. What do you think? Am I being silly? Should I tell him?"

Ellie reached out and grabbed her hand soothingly. "I don't think you're being silly at all," she said. "It would be perfectly natural to have some feelings about your husband working with his ex, especially her having a position of authority over him. I just don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Tell me about Jill," Sarah asked. "I mean, Chuck loved her didn't he? Is she pretty?"

Ellie considered the question. "I guess you could say that he loved her," she said. "In a way. But I always felt that Jill was one of the guys more than Chuck's girlfriend. As far as being pretty, she could have been. She didn't wear makeup and was always wearing sweats."

"But Chuck was devastated when he lost her," Sarah protested. "Wasn't he? I mean, he must have really been in love to be that crushed."

"Maybe that's part of it," Ellie admitted. "But actually, I think he was more devastated to lose his best friend, Bryce, the one that Jill cheated on him with. They were always together. I was never really sure which one was Jill's boyfriend. Frankly, I wasn't all that surprised when it happened."

"Yeah," Sarah sighed. "But what if those old feelings come back?"

"I get that you're not able to think about this rationally," Ellie insisted. "Trust someone who knows. I'm not blowing smoke up your skirt. I was the shoulder he cried on. I was also the shoulder that he cried on when he thought that he lost you. When he lost Jill, he was sad. When he thought that he lost you, he was panicked. And while Jill might be pretty, you're gorgeous. Trust me, if you and Jill were standing next to each other, Chuck wouldn't even notice Jill was there. Talk to him about it."

Sarah shook her head. "I have," she insisted. "He tells me I'm being silly. I don't think he understands how panicked I am."

"Maybe he's right," Ellie teased. "Sarah, trust me. As much as you love Chuck, he loves you even more. Jill couldn't possibly be a threat to you, even if she wanted."

It was the perfect thing to say. "I know," Sarah said. "It's true. I do get that. I don't even understand why I get so jealous. I'm usually not a jealous person. Chuck has never given me any reason. He's completely devoted. I just don't get it."

"It's natural," Ellie said. "I get jealous when I see Devon talking to another woman."

That got Sarah laughing. "Men are so clueless," she said.

"Totally clueless," Ellie agreed. "Be grateful. At least you don't have Morgan all over you."

"We'll see about that," Sarah said.

"We're meeting them for dinner tonight."

x-x-x-x-x

When Chuck walked into the apartment, he could hear Ellie and Sarah giggling. When he got closer, he noticed the empty wine bottles. "Is it safe to come in?" he asked.

As soon as Sarah heard Chuck's voice she ran to him and threw her arms around him. The force threw Chuck backwards on the couch with Sarah landing on top of him. She attached her lips to his for what turned out to be a long, hard, and rather sloppy kiss. "I really missed you," Sarah said when she finally let him up for air.

Chuck was laughing. "I can see," he said. He turned to his sister. "Have a little wine, did we?"

"A little," Ellie admitted. "I'm going to go in my room and give you two some privacy. I promise I won't be out for twenty minutes."

Sarah had moved to sit on his lap and was kissing his neck. "What's going on?" Chuck asked.

Sarah was getting pretty sloppy. "Ellie thinks that we should initiate the couch," she said between kisses. "Since this is where you proposed. This is where Devon proposed to Ellie and they initiated it. It's become a family tradition."

Chuck was still laughing. "How much wine did you guys drink?" he asked. "As alternately tempting and disturbing as that sounds, I think we'd better pass. What would happen if Devon walked in?"

Sarah was clearly pouting. "Chicken," she complained. "We'll get to it later."

Sarah climbed off Chuck and hugged Ellie as they got ready to leave. "Thank you so much," she said. "I had the best time."

They were both giggling so hard that it was tough to make out their words. "Me too," Ellie said. "Next time, we'll drink tequila."

It was hard to hug his sister with Sarah hanging on him. So it was a brief effort. "Thanks for taking care of her, I guess," he said sarcastically. "And here I thought the Mai Tai was the magic drink. We'll see you tomorrow. By the way. What brand is that wine?"

"I definitely want to buy some."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah staggered outside, blinking in the bright sunlight. She turned to Chuck, giggling. "I think that it might be better if you drove to Anna's," she said.

Chuck was laughing. Ellie was an expert at getting people drunk. "You think?" he asked sarcastically. "Actually Morgan called and cancelled. It seems that he and Anna are in the middle of one of their bi-weekly fights. We do need to stop by Casey's and debrief on today's assignment. Do you think you're up to it?"

Sarah snuggled into him suggestively. "Actually," she said. "Right now, I think that I'm up for anything… up to and including going for it right here in the fountain. How about we arm wrestle? Winner calls the shots all night. What do you say, punk? Feeling lucky?"

So now Chuck was really laughing. The truth was, sober she could definitely take him. In her current condition, he might just have a chance. When they got home, he might just try his luck. But not here. "Not feeling lucky at all," he said. "Ask me again when we get home."

"Chicken," Sarah grumbled.

As they entered the apartment, one look and Carina could tell right away that Sarah was much more "relaxed" then usual. "What did you girls do over there anyway?" she asked.

Sarah was giggling. "Just girl talk," she said. "We had a really good time. And…we drank a little wine."

That got Carina laughing. "A little?" she questioned as she handed Sarah a cup of coffee.

"Okay," Sarah said. "You got me. We drank a lot of wine."

Carina was still laughing. "Let's get this over with," she said. "What did you boys find out? One good thing, I see you are more sober than the room average. That's a good sign."

Casey shrugged his shoulders. "It was pretty routine," he said. "This place is a lot rougher around the edges than last night. They weren't making much effort to hide the prostitution. We did find out who is supplying the cocaine. Chuck flashed on a Joel Matlin. He is a known cocaine smuggler."

Suddenly Carina's coffee cup hit the floor. It broke into a million pieces scattering across the kitchen. "Did you say Joel Matlin," she whispered. The color drained from her face.

"Yes," Chuck said. "It was definitely Joel Matlin. Do you know him?"

Instead of replying, Carina began to shake noticeably. She collapsed in heap on the floor sobbing.

Sarah ran to where Carina was lying in a heap and knelt beside her. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Tell me what's wrong."

It was actually a stupid question. Carina was clearly not all right. She was shaking uncontrollably. Tears were streaming down her face. She was obviously trying to say something but all that came out was an unintelligible moan.

After a couple of moments, Sarah stirred into action. Whatever buzz she had going from Ellie's wine was instantly long gone due to her concern. "Chuck," she said. "Help me get Carina onto the couch. Casey, get Washington on the phone. Let's see if they know what's going on."

Together, Chuck and Sarah picked up Carina's limp body and sat her gently on the couch. Sarah sat next to her with her arm around her shoulder. She was whispering to her in a vain attempt to calm her down.

Casey finally spoke. "Beckman is coming online now," he said. "I think that she has some information."

Just then Beckman's face appeared on the monitor. She looked very grim. "I just got off the phone with the DEA," she said. "There was some information in Agent Miller's file that was sealed. She has some experience with Joel Matlin. What I'm about to tell you is extremely sensitive. Is that understood?"

Casey and Sarah looked at each other. "Yes, ma'am," they said.

"This happened about three years ago," Beckman started. "Agent Miller was assigned to get close to Joel Matlin. He was suspected of being a petty cocaine smuggler. Agent Miller had spent about a month gaining his confidence. Then just before they were ready to move on him, someone tipped Matlin off that she was undercover. I think you know what that means."

There wasn't much worse than when a female agent's cover was blown on a seduction assignment. They passed you around until there wasn't anything left. When they finally killed you, they were doing you a favor. It was every agent's nightmare. "Oh my God," Sarah said.

"I'm afraid so," Beckman confirmed. "They held her for fifteen days. There were twelve men. Then they left her for dead. She was in the hospital for six weeks. It was a miracle that she survived. It took another six months of therapy before she could go back into the field."

Sarah worked out the timeline in her head. "That was when I was in Rome," she said. "Why haven't I heard about this? I knew that she was in the hospital. They told me it was a gall bladder issue."

"Standard procedure," Beckman said. "Agent Walker, surely you know that we're not going to release details of an agent's injuries on a mission. That's kept on a need to know basis."

"With all due respect, ma'am," Casey growled. "Why are we sitting here and not going after this prick? We know exactly where he is."

"Calm down, Major," Beckman replied rather sternly. "I understand your feeling. I really do. But it's not going to be that easy. Matlin is a much bigger fish than we were led to believe. He is well connected and well protected. It looks like he might be using the club as a base. He would have that location fortified. You'd never make it in and back out again. Without the Intersect, you wouldn't even know who the bad guys were. You'd be a sitting duck. It's too big of a risk. It would be better if you just fed us Intel at this point."

Casey simply glared at the monitor.

Sarah saw his reaction and took charge. "Yes, ma'am," she said.

"Keep Agent Miller sedated," ordered Beckman. "Report back tomorrow with her condition. We'll talk again then."

As soon as the screen went blank, Casey walked to the door. "This sucks," he growled. "If she won't do it, I will. I'm going to kill his prick if I have to do it all by myself."

Sarah ran to the door and blocked his path. "Casey," she said. "Beckman's right. Think rationally. Storming in there won't accomplish anything except get you killed and tip him off."

"Save your breath," Casey growled. "That low life just made a fatal mistake."

Sarah turned to Chuck in desperation. "Please help me talk some sense into him," she said.

Chuck really didn't know what was going on. Beckman clearly knew more than she was letting on. "Come on, Casey," he started softly. "You know that…" Chuck's words faded as he caught sight of Carina shaking on the couch. Finally he sat down next to her and gently put his arm around her. Carina was still shaking uncontrollably and unable to speak. After a long moment she finally responded to Chuck by putting her head on his shoulder. Chuck looked up at his wife. "I'm sorry, Sarah," he said. "I'm with Casey on this one."

"We're going to get this bastard."

x-x-x-x-x


	5. The Compromise

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Compromise**

x-x-x-x-x

It was an emotional scene. Carina was still pretty much out of it. Casey wanted to just barge in and shoot this creep. Okay, that wasn't unusual. What was unusual was that Chuck was with him. It would take a lot for him to be in favor of taking a life. Sarah was trying very hard to talk some sense into the guys. "Come on," she pleaded. "No one wants this guy to die horribly any more than I do. We just have to figure out how to best do it. Walking into that club with guns blazing isn't that smart. Even if we are able to kill Matlin and get out, what have we really accomplished? We might feel better for a while."

Casey wasn't close to being convinced. "Sometimes that's good enough," he said. "Someone's going to pay."

Sarah looked at Casey for a moment then let out a sigh. "It's not good enough," she protested. "You know that. Calm down and start thinking. Let's face it. Even if could get in there, kill Matlin, and get out again, someone will take his place before we are done filling out the paperwork. The only way to really accomplish anything is by taking out the organization. Then we can kill this jerk… slowly."

"We have a big problem," Chuck said. "There's no way Carina can go undercover in this shape. Even if she was up to it emotionally, Matlin will ID her right away."

Sarah was quick to respond. "I can handle this myself," she said.

Chuck shook his head. "Wait a minute," he said. "No way. I wasn't that comfortable with this when I knew that Carina had your back. I sure as hell don't want you to do this alone."

Sarah wasn't having it. "Chuck," she said hotly. "Not now. Please. This isn't the time."

Chuck didn't back down a bit. "What are you asking me to do?" he asked just as hotly. "Watch what happened to Carina happen to you? We know how vicious this guy can be. We know he got tipped off before. What happens if he knows that you're undercover?"

"Make up your mind," Sarah said. "You say that you want to get this guy. This is the only way to do it. Who would be better at this then I would? You're just going to have to face facts. What I do is dangerous. You can't protect me all of the time. I'm the best at this. Let me do my job."

"I understand that what you do is dangerous," Chuck snapped back. "Don't treat me like a newbie. I haven't been sleeping for the past year. But you can't expect me not to want to minimize the danger. What do you expect from me?"

"Stop it."

Carina sat on the couch with tears still streaming down her face. "Both of you," she said. Her voice was so strained from emotion that they could barely make out what she was saying. "Come on Sarah. There's no way that you're going undercover with this sadistic bastard alone. I can't imagine what could happen. I couldn't live with that."

Casey walked to where Chuck was sitting and indicated to Chuck that he would like to sit. Chuck got up and let Casey take his place. Carina buried her head in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. "Are you okay?" he asked. He paused for a beat. "Okay, that was a stupid question. Sorry. What I meant was, are you back with us?"

Carina simply nodded without looking up.

"Okay," Casey replied just as softly. "I'm glad. We both know that I'm not good at this kind of thing. But know this. That prick is never, ever going to hurt you again. He has a very short time left to live. That's a promise that you can take to the bank."

"I believe you," Carina said, her voice muffled by Casey's shoulder. "Just please promise me that you won't do anything stupid. We have to do this right."

"Okay" Casey agreed. "We'll do it by the book. I promise."

Carina looked up at Casey. Her eyes were still bloodshot and there was still a noticeable tremor. But there was the hint of a smile on her lips. "Good," she said. "And when it comes time to kill him, we have to let blondie do it. She's forgotten more how to deliver pain than we know."

In spite of the tense situation, that got Sarah smiling. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said. "If I gave you another cup of coffee do you think you could drink it this time?"

Carina looked at Sarah and there was no question that a slight smile was there. "I'll try", she replied.

"Good," Sarah said. "Come to the table. Let's come up with a plan."

They sat at the kitchen table while they decided what to do. "There is a chance that this guy is tipped off," Casey said. "I think we have to assume that he is."

Sarah looked at Chuck. "Our mission has changed," she said. "We're not trying to find out who is in charge. We already know. Now we need to get close to Matlin and figure out how to take him down. If he is tipped off, he'll be looking for two dancers. If just I go, it might fool him."

"I know him," Carina said. "He enjoys a conquest. That wouldn't work being a dancer. He'd assume he could get a dancer naked anytime he wanted. You'd have to spend a lot of time on your back."

Sarah grinned with a sideways look at Chuck. "That won't work," she said. "I already spend a lot of time on my back. How about if I get a job as a waitress? He won't be looking for that."

Carina nodded approvingly. "That works," she said. "Play hard to get. We need to make Matlin have to compete for you. One of the guys is going to have to go in so you can flirt with him. That will drive Matlin crazy."

"I am hard to get," Sarah said. "It'll be a first on a mission. I don't want Chuck going in there. So I guess that leaves Casey."

"That doesn't work," Carina said. "Do you really think that you flirting with Casey would be believable? You know better. Besides, we need Casey outside ready to come in guns blazing. It has to be Chuck."

"I really don't want Chuck going in there," Sarah sighed. "This guy is pure evil."

"What?" Chuck asked. "You think that I'd let you go in there and not be there to back you up? What are you trying to say?"

Sarah noticeably sighed. "I don't want to fight with you anymore," she said. "I hate that. I'm sorry that I got harsh. I'm trying to say that I'd be worried for you. This guy is in a whole different league than the typical creep that we deal with. You haven't been trained to handle him. You could get in some serious trouble. I'd die if something happened to you."

Chuck shook his head. "I hope that you know by now," he said. "That I'll do whatever it takes. We're a team."

Carina smiled at them. "Trust me," she said. "The first time Matlin lays eyes on you he is going to be consumed with getting you in the sack. If you ice him and pretend to be infatuated with Chuck here, it will drive him crazy. It should get you both in his inner circle."

Sarah gave in. "At least I won't have to pretend this time," she said. "With either guy."

"Be prepared to work it," Chuck teased. "You're not the only one who can play hard to get."

Casey shook his head. "You're really going there?" he asked. "I think we all remember how long you can keep up 'hard to get.' Let's not tell Beckman anything. In case there is someone in our organization tipping Matlin off."

"We still have a problem," Chuck said. "How will you walk in off the street and get a job as a waitress?"

That got Sarah grinning. "You're so cute," she said. "You're joking, right?"

Chuck was embarrassed. "Sorry," he said looking down at the table. "I forgot who I was talking to."

"You have to be careful," Carina cautioned. "This guy is a major cocaine smuggler. Does Chuck know about your coke problem?"

Sarah immediately turned to Chuck, whose mouth was hanging open. "It's an inside joke," she quickly said. "I don't have a coke problem, not the way you're thinking anyway. At the academy, they insisted that we understand what it feels like. It was the first time I had ever tried anything like that. Chuck, I loved it. I mean, I really, really loved it. I knew that I could never touch it again or I would have a big problem. Carina calls that my coke problem."

"You do have a coke problem," Carina insisted. "This guy is going to try and get you not thinking straight. He's going to do that by throwing a lot of coke at you… even more than the usual creep. I'd better show you two how to palm a line of coke."

"Palm?" Chuck asked.

Carina shook her head. "When he offers you coke," she said. "You need to be able to convince him that you took it when you really didn't. That's what undercover DEA agents do. It's called palming." Her smile turned into a grin. "Otherwise, you'll be high as a kite. You'll get to see Sarah's coke problem up close and personal. He'll have Sarah in the sack on the first day. But I guess the good news would be that you won't care all that much."

Casey ignored her teasing. "You can wear a wire," he said. "But we better not go with earpieces. It would be too risky. That means you'll be blind."

After a few minutes of debate they all agreed on their approach. Carina was obviously feeling much better. As Chuck and Sarah were headed out the door to go home, Sarah turned to Carina. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said with mock enthusiasm. "Carina, you're supposed to come to my bridal shower tomorrow at Ellie's."

Carina groaned. "Just when I was starting to feel better," she said.

"Then you hit me with that."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah were silent on the ride home. Once they were in the apartment, Sarah turned to Chuck and grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry that I got harsh with you," she said.

"You don't have to be sorry," Chuck said. "I was harsh too."

Sarah smiled. "I know," she said.

Chuck shared her smile. "Okay," he said. "Point well taken, I'm sorry too. I'm just freaked out about what happened to Carina. I can't imagine that happening to you."

That ended Sarah's smile. "I know," she said sadly. "That's a female agent's worst nightmare. I can't imagine how Carina got through it. I feel horrible that I wasn't here for her. That's almost always the end of an agent's career, even if she survives."

Chuck looked at her for a long time. "Will you tell me the truth?" he asked softly. "How close have you come to that?"

"Can we change the subject?" Sarah asked. Of course she saw his look and knew what he was thinking. "It's not what you think," she said. "I've never been on a long term seduction mission before, so probably not that close. The reason I don't want to talk about it is that I don't want to think about it. If you're undercover you just can't be afraid. They'll see that fear and it will give you away. That goes for you just as well. If we start talking about the horrible things that could happen, it will make us less safe. No fear, sweetie. It's the only way to do this."

"No," Chuck agreed. "I don't want that. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Sarah quickly said. "I love that you worry about me. I worry about you too. I don't want that to change. You're just trying too hard to protect me. And you can't always protect me. You know, I'm pretty good at this stuff. I've been doing it for a number of years. I can take care of myself."

"I know," Chuck said, his face breaking into a full-fledged grin. "You're a badass. I get that. But you're just too willing to take silly chances. Someone has to slow you down."

"You're right", Sarah said, her face matching Chuck's grin. "I guess we'll have to come to some sort of compromise."

Suddenly Chuck became serious. "Compromise really doesn't work in this business, does it?" Chuck asked. "You were right. The only way to do this is with no fear."

Sarah smiled at him. "That's not really the compromise I was talking about," she said. "When we're in the field, we're partners. Everyplace else, we're newlyweds."

"Sarah," Chuck continued. "I want you to answer something for me. But it's important that you answer honestly. We've talked about having a little girl. But think about it. Having a family and being a spy probably aren't going to mix very well. Sarah, I know how much being a spy means to you. Are you going to be able to give this up?"

Sarah didn't hesitate. "In a heartbeat," she said with a smile. "Don't get me wrong. I hope that we're always going to do the right thing. This mission isn't Fulcrum. I have no problem if you don't want to do it. But, listen to me. I want that house with the picket fence and five kids more than I can tell you. Trust me. There isn't any decision to make. As soon as get rid of this intersect thing, I'm ready."

That got Chuck laughing. "Five?" he asked. "Really? I may have created a monster here."

Sarah joined his laughing. "I think you'd better save your strength," she said. "Chasing five kids around the house is going to be more tiring than any mission we've ever been on."

x-x-x-x-x

Since Chuck was quitting his job at the Buy More he had to turn in his id, keys, and car. Chuck drove the Herder to the Buy More to drop it off. Sarah would follow in the Porsche. She had some paperwork to finish at Castle then they would meet at the Buy More.

As soon as Chuck walked into the Buy More the gang was all over him.

"Dude," Jeff said. "You really married the wiener chick? You're our hero. Sort of like a god."

"Like a Greek god," Anna said.

Lester shook his head. "More like a geek god," he said.

Morgan was the only one not snickering. "How could you elope?" he asked, the disappointment obvious in his voice. "I was so looking forward to giving the toast at your wedding reception. How could you cheat me out of that?"

Chuck held up the finger with his wedding ring for their inspection and addressed the crowd in order. "Well, Jeff," he said. "She's not the wiener chick any more. Anna, Lester, thank you… I think. And Morgan, don't worry. We'll have a reception sometime. You can give the toast. Of course, Sarah will have to approve the text first."

Just then Sarah walked into the Buy More.

Jeff made no effort to hide his excitement. "Great," he said. "Now we get to kiss the bride."

Chuck knew that this was probably something he would pay for later. He just couldn't help but laugh at the look on Sarah's face. So, if he was already going to pay, he might as well get his money's worth, right? "Absolutely," he said. "Just don't go getting her too worked up. We have a lot of things to do this afternoon."

Sarah caught Lester's eye with a sly smile. "I can't make any promises," she teased with a wink.

Just then Lester mumbled something about having some urgent work in the cage and slithered away.

"Well, do your best," Chuck teased. "Anna, could I talk to you for a minute?"

Anna looked surprised. "Sure," she said as they walked away. "What's up?"

Chuck smiled at her. They always had a good relationship. She was a little scary. Not Sarah scary… but still. "I want to tell you something," he said. "I want you to hear it from me. I know that you love Morgan but you'd never be okay with this coming from him. You know that I'll be straight with you, right?"

Anna looked at him. "What is it?" she asked.

"Today at Sarah's shower you're going to meet an old friend of Sarah's named Carina," Chuck said. "She's pretty. Very pretty. I just want to let you know that Sarah fixed her and Morgan up last year and they went on a couple of dates. Please don't be jealous. I promise you, there is nothing between them. As a matter of fact, she is with Casey now."

Anna started laughing. "She's with John Casey?" she asked.

Chuck was confused why she was laughing. "Yes," he said. "What's wrong with that? Besides the obvious disgust, I mean."

So now Anna was laughing harder. "Since we're having this personal moment I guess I can tell you," she said. "I've always had kind of a crush on John. Don't worry. I know you're Morgan's best friend. I love Morgan. I really do. I would never cheat on him. There's just something about John that gets me so hot."

Okay, so that was probably the last thing Chuck expected her to say. He struggled for a response. "That would be interesting," he said. "If it wasn't so disturbing."

Anna was clearly enjoying his reaction. "Sometimes," she said. "I just sit and daydream about him just picking me up and…"

"I think that you're getting close to telling me more than I want to know," Chuck interrupted. "And we've already passed the nauseous threshold."

"Please don't say anything," Anna said.

"Yeah," Chuck said sarcastically. "Like anyone would believe me. Anna, Sarah is pretty nervous. Just please tell me you're not going to start anything at the shower."

So now Anna's laugh had an evil quality. "I'll try," she said.

"But I can't make any promises."

x-x-x-x-x

They were in the car on the way back to Casey's. "You'll never believe what I just heard," Chuck said.

Sarah laughed. "There's not much I wouldn't believe," she said. "Try me."

"You're not going to believe this one," Chuck insisted. "Guess who I just found out has the hots for Casey?"

The color left Sarah's face. "Oh my God," she said in shock. "How did you find out? Why? Did Ellie tell you?"

It was the last thing Chuck expected her to say. "Ellie?" he asked. "What are you talking about? I'm talking about Anna."

Sarah tried to cover her mistake. "You mean that Anna likes Casey?" she asked as innocently as she could.

No sale. "What did you mean by Ellie?" Chuck asked, his eyes narrowed in concern. "What are you not telling me here?"

Sarah was desperate. "Please, Chuck," Sarah said. "I promised Ellie I would never say anything. Please don't tell her that you know. She told me when we were bonding. She'll never trust me again."

Chuck was still confused. "What are you saying?" he asked. "Are you telling me that my sister likes Casey?"

Sarah knew that she had to come clean. "Well, 'like' might not be the right word," she said. "It is more like a physical attraction. She would never do anything. She doesn't even understand it herself. She might have said something about fantasies."

Chuck put his head in his hands. "Oh my God," he said. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm so sorry," Sarah said. "I was never going to tell you. I thought you were telling me that you already knew."

Chuck sat and thought about this new development. "So Anna and Ellie both have the hots for Casey," he said in shocked disbelief. "Not to mention Carina. And to think, I felt sorry for his lack of social life."

"I don't understand it," Sarah agreed. "I never saw that one coming. I have to get out more." Clearly trying to change the subject she punched Chuck in the arm. "Thanks for reminding me," she said. "That's for leaving me alone with Jeff while he 'kissed the bride.' He tried to slip me tongue."

Chuck rubbed his arm. "I hope you realize," he said. "This means we won't be doing any kissing tonight. What other disturbing thing are you going to tell me today? Do you have the hots for Casey too?"

Sarah just smiled and turned back towards the road.

"Oh hell no," Chuck sighed.

That got Sarah giggling. "I'm just teasing you," she said. "I mean, eww."

Chuck put his head back in his hands.

"You are so going to pay for that."

x-x-x-x-x


	6. The Shower

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Shower**

x-x-x-x-x

A month ago, if you would have told Sarah that she was going to a bridal shower, she would have assumed it was an assignment. If you had told her that she was actually the bride, she would have thought that you were trying to start a fight. And if you had told her that Carina would be with her… well, she would have walked away in disgust. Yet here they were, walking across the courtyard to Ellie's. "Carina, please," Sarah said. "This is going to be my sister-in-law for the rest of my life. I'm begging you. Please don't make things awkward."

The fact that she said please would infer that she was making a request. Carina knew the tone in Sarah's voice well enough to know that it wasn't a request… not in the least. She was actually nervous about attending this yawn fest. "And why would I do that?" she teased with a mischievous grin.

Sarah looked at her sideways. "You're joking, right?" she asked sarcastically. "It just seems to be a tendency with you."

Carina was grinning. "Don't worry," she said. "It's two boring hours in suburbia. How much trouble can I get in? Wake me up if I fall asleep."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm serious," she said. "This is my new family. She doesn't need to be shocked by any lurid C.A.T. stories of your regular debauchery. I'll tell you what. Don't embarrass me tonight and I don't tell Casey about Cleveland. Sound fair?"

Well, that got rid of Carina's grin. Sarah had just dropped the big one. "You wouldn't dare," Carina said. "We agreed that we would take that night to our graves."

"We did," Sarah replied sweetly. "Just like we agreed that you're not going to embarrass me today. Do we understand each other?"

Carina shook her head sadly. "Yes, Sarah," she said.

"We understand each other."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah knocked on Ellie's door as she opened it. "Hello," she called.

It was only about a half a second before Ellie had her wrapped up in a bear hug. "Sarah," she said. "I'm so glad you're here."

The hug lasted for a long moment. As soon as Ellie finally released her, Sarah smiled. "Thank you for having this for me," she said. "I'd like you to meet my old friend, Carina. Carina, this is Ellie, Chuck's sister."

At least Ellie didn't try and hug Carina. That might have caused her to go on a three state killing spree. "Carina," Ellie said as she stuck out her hand. "It's very nice to finally meet you. You're even prettier than Sarah said."

Sarah looked into the room. There were three women already there. She recognized them as friends of Ellie's from the hospital. Sarah had met all three at one time or another over the past year but frankly, hadn't paid much attention. In fact, she couldn't remember any of their names. She thought that they were all doctors, but she wasn't even really sure of that. What she was really sure of, was that Ellie had put a significant effort into decorating the apartment. A large banner that read 'Congratulations Chuck and Sarah' hung from the archway ceiling. Several heart shaped balloons of different colors with the same caption hung from various points. A single layered cake was sitting on the snack bar with the picture of Chuck and Sarah from Halloween. Also on the snack bar were a large sub sandwich, assorted fruit, a bowl of punch, and several bowls of assorted chips.

Ellie guided them to join the group. "What can I get you two to drink?" she asked. "We have Sarah's favorite wine, I have a pitcher of margaritas, or, if you're chicken, there's fruit punch."

Sarah grinned. When Carina drank tequila, it was never in a margarita… most times it wasn't even in a glass. "We said that the next time we were drinking tequila," she said. "I'll have a margarita."

"Okay," Carina agreed. "I'm game."

As Ellie poured the drinks she introduced Carina to her friends. "Amy, Beth, and Marcie this is Carina," Ellie said. "And of course you all remember the new bride, Sarah."

After the obligatory round of 'Nice to see you', Sarah and Carina joined the other ladies and began sipping their drinks. Just as they were comfortably sitting there was a knock at the door and Anna popped her head in. Naturally that caused a new round of introductions.

Unfortunately, Sarah didn't know Anna very well. So she didn't know that she should have saved her earlier threat to Carina and delivered it to Anna. As soon as Anna had her margarita, she looked around the room. "So," she said with a wicked grin. "I hear that someone here has the hots for John Casey."

Ellie's face instantly turned beet red. "Sarah," she whispered. "You promised that you wouldn't tell anyone."

So Sarah's face was equally red. "Ellie," she said. "I didn't say anything. I promise."

Anna cocked her head. "What are you two talking about?" she asked. "I was talking about our new friend Carina here. Isn't she staying with John?"

Suddenly Ellie found herself with every eye in the room on her.

"Oh my goodness."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Casey were sitting in the car outside of the club. One thing was for sure. Matlin was well protected. Now that they knew what they were looking for, it was obvious that there were several cars full of his bodyguards positioned in strategic positions ready to storm the building. That was in addition to his men inside. Any open attack would have been suicide.

Casey was giving Chuck some last minute instructions. "I think that it is better if we split up a little," he said. "I don't think that it is a good idea for anyone to associate us. Pick one girl that you find attractive but is different from Sarah in some key way and concentrate on her."

Chuck really didn't want to do this. He especially didn't want to be on his own. "Isn't that going to send the wrong impression?" he asked. "Wouldn't that be telling her that I'm interested in her?"

Casey shook his head in disgust. "Yes, genius," he said. "And that's the right impression. That's what we want to happen. Why do you think that we're here anyway?"

"But they're all different from Sarah," Chuck protested. "There's no one in there that's even in Sarah's league."

Casey was still shaking his head. "Let me explain this to you," he said. "I'll be sure to use small words. When Sarah is coming on to you tomorrow, you have to have a reason to prefer another girl. It would be hard to tell Matlin that you don't like blondes and then have the other girl that you're pretending to prefer be blonde. Get it?"

"I get it," Chuck replied sadly. "It seems stupid but I get it. Thank you for your simple and yet incredibly patronizing explanation. It helps. Well, no, it really doesn't, but it is annoying."

Casey was grinning at his discomfort. "Just make sure that you tip big," he said. "That's key."

Chuck willed the whine from his voice. "This is brutal," he said. "You'll never know how much I hate this. How long are we staying anyway?"

"Wait until you see me leave," Casey said. "Then have one last dance and meet me out here. That way we won't be seen leaving together."

Really having no choice, Chuck entered the club and picked a small table. He ordered a light beer and began to nurse it. He looked over all of the ladies that were wandering around, eliminating the blonde ones. Eventually a petite dark haired dancer came over and asked him if he wanted a dance. Chuck nodded. She met all of Casey's criteria. She wasn't like Sarah in any way. So he smiled at her. "Sure," he said. "My name is Charles."

The dancer didn't waste any time losing her top. "Hi, Charles," she said as she sat on his lap.

"My name is Angel."

x-x-x-x-x

Ellie just stood there for a long moment feeling every eye in the room on her. Her face couldn't have been any redder. Finally she decided that there was no easy way out of this situation. She might as well face it head on. "I'm sorry, Carina," she said. "I admit. I've had some fantasies about John. I'm embarrassed."

Carina thought about Sarah's threat. Okay, she had been serious. But even Sarah couldn't deny her a little fun, could she? So she decided to have some fun with her new friend. "Really?" she asked. "Fantasies? What kind of fantasies? Tell me about them."

Ellie didn't know Carina well enough to tell if she was kidding or not. But, in any event, it was too late to back down now. She decided to call Carina's bluff. So she grinned. "Actually," she said. "The fantasies are mostly sexual. The themes and details vary. But let's just say that John always 'rises' to the occasion."

Carina pretended to consider this. "Really?" she asked with mock innocence. "Give me an example of one."

Anna didn't give Ellie a chance. "Oh," she interrupted. "I have one. John is a motorcycle cop. I've been speeding and he pulls me over. He tells me he won't give me a ticket this time and I'm glad. But I've been bad. I need some punishment. So he makes me follow him to his place."

Carina was honestly surprised. "You too?" she asked. "Anybody else?"

Amy raised her hand. "I've had the cop one," she said.

"Me too," agreed Marcie.

Sarah's head was spinning. This was unbelievable. "Wait a minute," she in shock. "Am I the only woman in this room who has never had a sexual fantasy about John Casey?"

Beth shook her head. "I don't even know who John Casey is," she said.

Amy leaned over to her. "You know him," she said. "He is the tall, broad shouldered man that came to see Chuck the last time we were over for dinner. Dark hair. Kind of brooding eyes. I'm sure you remember."

Beth grinned. "That was him?" she asked. "I most definitely do remember now." She turned to Sarah. "I guess you are the only one."

At that the whole room erupted in laughter.

"Tell me, Carina," Anna said. "What does his chest look like?"

Okay, so Sarah wasn't an expert in wedding showers. She wasn't sure what to expect. But this sure wasn't it. "If this conversation is going there," she said.

"I need another drink."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey was right. Big tipping was definitely the way to get attention at these places. And Chuck definitely had Angel's attention. She had hardly left Chuck's side or more precisely, his lap for the last hour. He was fairly surprised that he didn't feel guiltier about having a semi-naked woman writhe on his lap for so long. He decided that was because he had passed Sarah's test. He definitely wasn't enjoying himself. To occupy his mind during one of their dances, he began to think about why he had picked Angel. He had to admit that, before Sarah, he would have found her attractive. She was almost exactly the opposite of Sarah in every physical way. Where Sarah was tall, Angel was petite. Where Sarah was blonde with blue eyes, Angel had dark hair and brown eyes.

But the most important difference was in their eyes, more than the color. Angel's eyes were dull, vacant, like she was somewhere else. One of the many things that he loved about Sarah was that he could always tell exactly what she was thinking by looking at her eyes. When she was happy, her eyes could light up the room. He lived for those moments. When she was pissed, her eyes could bore through you like a laser. When that happened you wanted it to be over as soon as possible. When she was sad, her eyes became pools that made you want to wrap your arms around and comfort her. When she was aroused, well that was simply the best. It was sort of like Christmas morning and the Forth of…

"Now we're talking," Angel interrupted Chuck's thoughts. "It looks like I'm finally getting through to you. What took you so long?"

To say that Chuck was embarrassed was ridiculous understatement. "Sorry," he said. "It's been a long day." Just then he spotted Casey finally leaving the club.

"Welcome to the living," Angel teased. "I was beginning to worry that you didn't like me."

Chuck inwardly groaned. This was something he'd have to explain to Sarah. "Of course I like you," he protested. "Why do you think I would have kept you all to myself for the past hour?"

Angel moved up to whisper in his ear. "This doesn't have to end," she whispered seductively. "Come with me to the back room and I'll show you what being alive is really like."

Chuck was forced to grin at the ridiculousness of the situation. "I'd like that a lot," he said with a grin. The truth was, he couldn't imagine many things that he'd like less. "Too bad I'm late. You're so pretty. I lost track of time looking at you. How about if I come back tomorrow?"

"Okay," Angel said sadly. "I'll be here tomorrow."

Chuck remembered his instructions. "I'll tell you what," he said.

"I do have time for one more dance."

x-x-x-x-x

Since Sarah had never been to a bridal shower before, she really didn't know what to expect. But nothing that she had ever imagined could have prepared her for this. The shower had degraded into something more like a bachelorette party. Every female that she knew, all in the same room, all throwing down margarita after margarita and comparing their sexual fantasies… starring John Casey, of all people.

Carina, being the only one with any real experience with Casey, quickly became the center of attention. It was a role she was clearly relishing. "Let me tell you what really turns him on," she said, almost yelling to be heard above the roar of giggling.

That got everyone's attention. The room suddenly became silent as all eyes turned towards Carina in anticipation. Anna was the first to express what they were all thinking. "Okay," she said. "Give it up already."

Carina laughed. "He loves to be the macho man," she said. She turned her voice into a high pitched falsetto. "Oh mister big strong man. I'm just a poor helpless little girl. Please help me. I'll be so, so grateful. Let me prove it to you. Please."

"Oh… my… God," Beth said. "That is the hottest thing I have ever heard."

The room exploded in laughter.

Carina continued. "And the thing that he likes best in bed is…"

"Ellie," Sarah interrupted. "Could I please get another drink?"

Ellie looked at her new sister. "Ah, Sarah," she said. "I'm so sorry. This is your shower. Are we embarrassing you?"

Sarah smiled and shook her head. Whatever today was, even Carina would have to admit. It sure wasn't boring. "No," she said. "I'm not embarrassed… confused maybe. I just don't get it. I've never had a tinge of a hint of a shred of sexual excitement from John. I'm stunned that all of you beautiful, successful ladies seem to be so taken. What am I missing?"

They all started laughing. "I know," Ellie said. "I can't explain it either."

"Do any of you ever have fantasies about Chuck?" Sarah asked? It was an honest question. Maybe she was missing something.

The room fell suddenly silent. For a moment Sarah was concerned that she had offended someone. Finally after a long moment Amy spoke.

"Chuck isn't the type of guy that you fantasize about spending one hot night with," she said softly as she looked directly into Sarah's eyes. "He's the type of guy that you dream about falling in love with… the one who would never hurt you… the one who grows old with you… the one who becomes the father of your children. He's the guy that you never let go of… the guy that we're all hoping to meet someday. You don't know how lucky you are."

Sarah couldn't help the silly grin that came to her face. Of course, she was exactly right. "Actually, I do know," she said. "But thanks for reminding me. You're right; he is all of those things and more. He's only been gone for a couple of hours and I miss him."

"But come on Sarah," said Anna. "Okay. You're in love. That's nice. But there has to be someone that you secretly have the hots for. I'm not saying that you would ever let it happen. But there has to be someone. Maybe an actor. Brad Pitt?"

Sarah only vaguely knew who Brad Pitt was. "You know," she said. "I can honestly say that there isn't. The only man that I've even noticed is attractive is Chuck's picture of his old roommate, Bryce Larkin." She shot a glance at Carina. "And I even feel weird saying that, because he's dead."

"Eww," Ellie said. "If you had ever met Bryce you wouldn't say that. I'm not going to bash a dead man but you wouldn't have liked Bryce. He was good looking, I'll give you that. But he's the kind of man that would pick you up in a bar, tell you he loves you to get you in bed, and then never call you again."

Sarah flashed a gloating look at Carina. "Really?" she asked. "He sounds like the opposite of Chuck."

"The exact opposite," Ellie agreed. "Maybe that's why they were such good friends."

Just then Chuck walked through the door. "Hi ladies," he said. "Did you have a good time?"

Sarah didn't answer. She just walked to Chuck and threw her arms around him. She kept her lips pressed to his until the girls were cheering. "We had such a great time," she said. "I really missed you."

"Do you want something to eat?" Ellie asked. "There is some of the sub sandwich left. Would you like some cake?"

While Chuck sat at the snack bar eating his sandwich, Sarah said her goodbyes. She hugged each girl and thanked her for coming. When she got to Amy, she whispered in her ear. "Thanks for reminding me. That meant a lot to me. I'll never forget what you said. I hope that you meet your Chuck very soon."

Finally Sarah got to Ellie. "Thank you so much," she said. "Not only for the party but for everything."

"You're welcome," Ellie said. "I'm so happy for you. But I'm happy for me too. I got a sister out of the deal. Let's go shopping next week."

Sarah simply nodded.

"You don't mind if the rest of us stay a while?" Ellie asked with a grin. "Do you? We still have some tequila to drink and some fantasies to share."

"Not at all," Sarah said with her own grin. "Have fun. Just make sure that you keep Carina in line. I'm going home and make my own fantasy." She walked over to Chuck who was still eating his sandwich and whispered in his ear. "If you can get me home in fifteen minutes, I promise we'll be naked before sixteen."

Talk about an offer you couldn't refuse. "Well sis," Chuck said quickly. "We gotta go. Maybe next time Sarah comes over to visit, she can leave sober."

They were already walking out the door. "Maybe," Ellie called to Chuck with a laugh. "But don't count on it. Drive safe."

"Now, let's get back to our John fantasies."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah were lying in bed next to each other on their backs trying to catch their breath. Their sex had always been very hot. Tonight was a full notch above average. Sarah was most always the aggressor in that she got things started. But she usually quickly relaxed and let Chuck take the lead. Not tonight.

Chuck could finally speak. "Wow," he said. "What got into you? You were a tiger. What happened at Ellie's that got you so fired up? Not that I'm complaining."

Sarah leaned over and gently kissed him. "Nothing really," she said. "They just reminded me of how lucky I am. Chuck, I'm so happy. I never thought that I could be this happy. It frustrates me that I can't find a way to tell you. It sounds so trite to say I love you. It's like I'm in high school. It doesn't even come close to how I really feel. I just don't know how to say it. So if it's okay, every once in a while, I'm going to try and show you. And show you."

"I like your nonverbal communication," Chuck said. "Look, I have to tell you something. I would feel guilty if I didn't. I got turned on at the club today."

Sarah's smile didn't fade a bit. "Oh?" she asked. "Care to tell me about it?"

Chuck paused for a moment. "I was sitting there, bored out of my mind as usual while she was dancing," he said. "So to pass the time I started thinking about you and how much I love your eyes. Well, long story short, the dancer noticed the, the, well the change. I'm sorry. Please don't be upset."

Sarah looked at him for a long moment trying to blink the tears out of her eyes. "Let me get this straight," she said. "You're having a naked girl rub up against you for an hour, only because I'm making you do it. It takes thinking about me to get you turned on. And you're feeling guilty? Chuck, why would I be upset about that? That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Sweetie, you're a perfect husband. Why are you always so sweet?"

That got Chuck laughing. "Wow," he said. "I think that you should go spend the day with Ellie more often. At least once a week."

"Do you really think that you'd be up for that?" she asked playfully as she slapped his chest. "Once a week? You may not survive."

Chuck shook his head. "I seem to be doing fine now," he teased. "I think I could handle this game once a week."

Sarah looked at him like he had grown a third eye. "You think that today's game is over?" she asked incredulously. She began kissing his neck. As she worked her way down his chest to his stomach, she looked up into his eyes.

"That was just batting practice."

x-x-x-x-x


	7. Preparations

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Preparations**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah were in the Porsche driving to Casey's. Chuck sat slumped in the passenger's seat with his eyes closed. The last thing that Chuck wanted to admit was that he was tired. But he was. Tired didn't even come close to describing how he felt. It was more like exhausted.

Sarah glanced over at Chuck with concern. "Sweetie, are you okay?" she asked. "You really look tired."

Chuck considered how to answer. She had been a tiger last night. It was magical. The last thing that he wanted was to discourage her in any way. Yet, she could tell that he was tired. So split the difference? "Maybe a little," he said without opening his eyes.

Sarah's smile turned skeptical. "I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I sort of overworked you last night."

Chuck finally opened his eyes. She really didn't look at all sorry. "Don't ever apologize for that," he said. "It was… incredible. I never dreamed… okay, maybe I dreamed. But I never really thought that those dreams would become real, especially with someone as amazing as you." As his smile turned into a full-fledged grin, he asked, "How about you? Are you tired?"

"A little," admitted Sarah as she matched Chuck's grin. "It was worth it, don't you think? It was amazing for me too. Our sex life has always been incredible. Making love is so much better than hot sex. That was life changing for me. I really wasn't expecting it to be so magical. You have this thing where you always get my motor running. I found that I was holding back. So now, I figure that hot sex while you're making love with someone that you truly worship is the best of both worlds. I'm no longer prepared to hold anything back. I'm afraid that means my sexual expectations have crossed the border into unreasonable territory for a human. I don't want to damage you. Be sure to let me know anytime you need to slow down. I guess I can take some cold showers or something."

Chuck looked at his wife. She was only partially teasing. Last night had been the unquestioned highlight of his life. The last thing he wanted to do was to slow her down in any way. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about me," he said. "I think I'm prepared to keep up with you. Trust me. Cold showers suck. I've been taking them for the past year. Do you want to head back to the apartment right now and let me prove it to you?" Yeah, it was a bluff. Chuck looked at the twinkle in Sarah's eyes. For a long moment he was worried that she might actually call him on it. That would be… a challenge.

Finally she responded. "As tempting as that sounds, we can't right now," she sighed. "We're going to be late as it is."

As long as the bluff worked, there was no reason to back down. "Are you sure?" he asked. Of course, inwardly he was saying 'thank goodness', but she'd never know.

x-x-x-x-x

Once they arrived at Casey's, it was readily obvious that they weren't the only ones who had experienced a long night… for different reasons. Carina was still in her pajamas. It was the first time Chuck had ever seen her without makeup. She was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. Well, she had a cup of coffee in her hand anyway. It looked like she was having trouble actually getting it to her lips.

Sarah had seen her hung over before… probably a million times. She felt absolutely no reason to go easy on her. "How much tequila did you gals drink last night?" she asked. "How long did you stay at Ellie's anyway?"

Carina was in bad shape. "Would you stop shouting?" she asked. "My head is about ready to explode. I'm not sure how much we drank last night. I think that the other girls are still over there. Devon showed up. As it turns out, they all have crushes on him too. He had a challenge pealing them off."

That got Sarah laughing. At least she understood the attraction to Devon. He was gorgeous. Fortunately, he was also completely devoted to Ellie. His trying to peel off the dunk girls would have been funny to see. "Did you tell Casey?" she asked. "That might be interesting."

"Did you tell Casey what?"

Sarah turned and Casey was standing there. "Did you tell Casey what?" he repeated his question.

Sarah shook her head. "There are some assignments too dangerous for even me," she teased. "I think I'll let Carina handle this one… maybe after she recovers a bit… maybe next week sometime by the look of things. Ask her what they talked about at my shower."

Casey had a low tolerance to being teased. Everyone knew that. He looked at Carina shaking her head. "Can we just get to work?" he asked with his trademark growl. "You're not going to tell me anyway."

Sarah was enjoying her sport. "Oh, I'd tell you," she said with a grin. "I'm just not sure that you would believe me. I was there and I'm not sure I'd believe me."

Carina sighed. "I'll tell him," she said. "Just let me pick a time when I'm equipped to deal with the fallout."

Now Sarah was openly laughing. "Whatever you think is best," she said. "I'm off to get my new waitress job. I should be back in a couple of hours or so."

As Sarah turned to leave, Chuck put out his hand and stopped her. "Wait a minute," he said. "I'm coming with you. We've talked about this. There's no way you're going to that club alone."

Sarah smiled at his protectiveness. "That doesn't work," she said. "You need to stay and work with Carina. That's why we came over here in the first place. The very last thing that can happen is for you and me to be seen together before our assignment. I'll be fine. I promise. Wish me luck."

Casey looked at them. "It's starting to scare me that I find myself agreeing with Bartowski," he said, more to himself than anybody. "Walker, there is no way you're going anywhere near that club alone. This guy is too hard core. We're going to play this by the book."

Sarah shook her head in frustration. "Do you really think that's necessary?" she asked. "I don't see what the big deal is. He's probably not even there this early."

Casey shook his head forcefully. "No way," he insisted. "I'm going with you and you're wearing a wire. I'll be monitoring you from the car. Maybe we'll get lucky and Matlin will try something that lets me shoot and claim it was an accident. This is by the book. We're just not taking any chances with this guy."

Sarah looked at Carina expectantly, hoping for support.

Carina smiled at her friend. "Sorry, blondie," she said. "As much as I'd love to back you up here, I agree with the boys. It would be reckless to take any chances. This guy is bad news."

That got Chuck grinning. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Are you afraid that I'll read the transcript of how you got your new waitress job?"

That got the room laughing, even Carina. Sure, he was teasing. She wouldn't ever hide anything that happened with a mark from him. That was their deal. But why go looking for trouble? "I think it would be best if you didn't," she teased.

Chuck turned serious. "Can I talk to you alone for a second?" he asked.

"Of course," Sarah said. As they stepped into the kitchen she turned to Chuck. "Come on, sweetie. We've talked about this. You know that you don't have to be worried about me today. At most I'm just going to flirt a little. I would hope that you're past that bothering you by now."

Chuck shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about," he said. "Are you really going to leave me here alone with Carina?"

That got Sarah laughing. "Maybe you should wear a wire," she said. "Maybe I'll have a transcript to read." She saw the look of horror on his face. It got her laughing even harder. "Come on, Chuck," she said. "I was just teasing you. It'll be okay. I think that the days of Carina coming on to you are over… hopefully for her anyway."

Chuck took full measure of her so clearly making fun of him. Two could play that game. "Surely you're not going over there dressed like that," he said. "Why don't you get this over with?"

Sarah knew exactly what he was getting at. There was no way to walk into that club looking for a job while wearing a bra. They'd laugh at her. They'd make her for either a cop or a moron… or both right away. "I was planning on taking it off in the back seat on the way," she said with a laugh. "But this is probably a husband duty."

They were just in the kitchen. Either Casey or Carina could pop in any second. But what the hell? Both had already seen her without clothes. So when Sarah lifted her arms in a clear signal, Chuck just grabbed the hem of her shirt, lifted it over her head, and reached behind her for the clasp. "Thank you," Sarah said as Chuck handed her back the shirt. But before she put it on, she threw her arms around him. "You're amazing," she said.

The strong kiss lasted a long moment. "Wow," Chuck said as he watched her pull her shirt back on. "If you go over there like that, you won't get a job as a waitress. They'll make you manager."

"Hey," Sarah teased. "This is all you fault. You didn't complain when they got us suites at the Bellagio. Don't worry."

"Driving over there alone with Casey will wear it off."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Sarah and Casey left, Carina turned to Chuck. It was time to put this hangover behind her. There was work to do. "Chuck," she said. "It's important that you learn about the drug culture. This Joel Matlin is going to be throwing all kinds of drugs at you… and even more at Sarah. I don't have to remind you what an animal he is."

Chuck didn't know what to think. Every day for the past year, they went up against some big bad. For some reason, the team was treating Matlin as if he was bigger and badder than usual. "You're scaring me," he said playfully.

Carina wasn't in the mood for any teasing. "Good," she said. "You should be scared. If he suspects you, you're in big trouble. And if you get in trouble, Sarah gets in trouble right along with you."

Chuck was confused. Sarah had given him the lecture just yesterday that you couldn't show any fear with these guys. He nodded for Carina to continue.

Carina could tell what he was thinking. "Yes," she said. "You can't show any fear to these guys. They will smell it. The only way to not show fear is to be prepared. I'm going to have to give you a crash course on how to be a DEA agent. Tell me, what is your experience with cocaine?"

Chuck wasn't sure where this was going. "Come on, Carina," he said. "You know that I don't do drugs."

"Chuck, relax," Carina said. "I'm not trying to judge you. A lot of people have experimented with recreational drugs a few times. That doesn't mean they're bad people. I have myself. I'm trying to figure out how much I have to show you. Be honest with me here. It's okay. I won't tell Sarah, if that's what you're worried about."

Chuck took a deep breath. "I've never used cocaine," he said. "I've seen other people at Stanford. I never tried it myself. I stuck with beer. But I would never try to hide something from Sarah."

"That's good," Carina said with the beginnings of a smile. "But for our purposes today, it's probably bad. We'll have to get you some quick experience."

"Carina," Chuck replied quickly. "I don't want to snort any cocaine. That's just not me."

Carina looked at him sadly. "I know that you have some trust issues with me," she said. "I have that coming. I've treated you unfairly in the past. I'm sorry. But we're partners now. Whatever you think of me as a person, I take the job very seriously. It's important that you trust me in the same way that you trust Casey and Sarah. Do you think you can do that?"

Chuck looked directly into Carina's eyes. "I trust you," he said. "Sarah says that you can be a loose cannon."

That actually got Carina smiling. "Sarah's right," she said. "It's been an issue for me in the past. It's been made very clear to be, by Beckman, but also by Sarah that it won't be tolerated. Your trust means a lot to me. I promise that I won't do anything to betray that trust. Just so you know. I trust you too." Carina got up and walked into the bedroom. When she returned she was carrying a black leather pouch. She opened the pouch on the kitchen table and took out a hypodermic syringe. "This is synthetic cocaine," she said, responding to his unasked question. It's medical grade so it's a lot safer than snorting power. I'm going to give you a dose that will last for a couple of hours."

"But why do I have to do this?" Chuck asked? "I'm not really going to snort cocaine at the club, right?"

"Hopefully not," Carina said. "But this is still important. People high on cocaine act a certain way. Matlin is an expert in seeing people on coke. If you can't act that same way, he'll pick up on it quickly and you and Sarah are in big trouble. You need to experience what it feels like in a controlled environment."

Chuck nodded. "That makes sense," he said.

Carina's smile broadened into a grin. "Just one more trust thing today," she said. "I promise this is the last one. But this has to be injected in to your hip."

"Do you think that you can pull down your pants for me?"

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah and Casey were driving to the club in Casey's car. Sarah could tell that Casey looked tense. Then again Casey usually looked tense. Finally, Sarah turned to him. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked. "This is exactly why I wanted to go alone. Please don't make me worry about you starting anything today. I'm just going to go in there, flirt my way into a waitress job, and come back. Okay?"

"We agreed that we would do this by the book," Casey said with a growl. "I just want a shot at that Matlin so bad I can taste it."

Sarah understood what he was feeling. Most of the people they went after were scumbags. This was different. What he had done to Carina made it personal. "I know," she agreed. "So do I. We'll get him. But the best way to get him is to follow the plan. You know that. Please don't make me worry about you. I'm already worried about Chuck and Carina."

Being lectured was probably Casey's least favorite thing. "Walker," he growled. "Don't you worry about me doing my job. I was doing this when you were in junior high school. You just worry about doing yours… and that husband of yours."

They drove in silence for a long moment. "Can I ask you a question?" Casey asked. He didn't wait for her answer. "Do you really have to dress like that?"

Sarah looked at him. That was probably the last thing she expected him to say. Why would he say that? "We are going to a topless bar," she pointed out. "What do you think I should wear? A prom dress? If I'm bothering you, why don't you stop looking?"

That got Casey laughing. "Maybe," he said. "And then again maybe not. I think that I deserve the same view that the rest of the general public is getting, don't you think? Besides that, I sort of like it."

Sarah was wrong a moment ago. Now that was the last thing she expected him to say. Was he actually flirting with her? Did he know about the shower and now thought any woman was eager to get naked with him? Had he really turned into Bryce? Regardless, it was time to nip this in the bud. "You're kidding, right?" she asked. "Casey, I'm the only woman that either of us know that you don't have a shot with. Trust me on that."

"What does that mean?" Casey asked with a puzzled look.

"It means that you have no shot in hell," Sarah replied. "Even before Chuck. What do you think it means?"

"No," Casey said. "I knew that. Believe me. I don't want a shot. What makes you think that I want a shot? I thought we had an understanding. I've already seen everything you have several times. Okay, you have a nice body. Are you really getting your panties in a bunch because I said that I enjoyed the view? Isn't that the general intent?"

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't coming on to her. That was silly. He just complimented her… in his awkward way. "I'm sorry," she said. "I overreacted. I'm pretty hypersensitive when Chuck isn't with me. I'm still a little freaked out over yesterday."

Casey gripped the wheel. "What happened yesterday?" he asked. "What did you mean by you're the only one?"

Talk about a discussion Sarah didn't want to have. "I think that it's far better if Carina briefs you on that," she said.

"Alone… when I'm not there."

x-x-x-x-x

There was one thing about cocaine. The high was almost instantaneous. Carina looked at him. "So, Chuck," she said. "How are you feeling?"

Chuck started giggling. "I feel great," he said. "Actually I feel better than great… maybe even fantastic. I came in here tired but now I think I could run a race… more than a race… maybe even a marathon. I wonder if there's a marathon…"

Carina started laughing. "Slow down, Chuck," she interrupted. "That's the drug. Do you notice how you feel wired? Like you've had about a hundred cups of coffee?"

Chuck as still excited. "Do I ever," he said. "I can feel my heart beating. I can actually feel the blood flowing through my veins. It feels so good. Why didn't you tell me how good it feels? What would be the problem if we actually took some cocaine with Matlin? I mean…"

Carina's laughing quickly ended. "Now you see the problem," she interrupted again. "I know that it feels good. Why do you think so many people use it? That's the problem with it. It makes you feel so good that eventually you'll do anything to have it again. That's what guys like Matlin count on. They prey on the fact that you'll do anything for it. That's how he is planning on getting Sarah on her back. He thinks that she'll eventually do anything to get the next high. I know that you love Sarah and you think that could never change. But, trust me; you would eventually come to love cocaine more. And that's why it's so evil. You start off by just thinking that it's fun but it eventually becomes your life."

Talk about an immediate buzz kill. "I never want anything to take Sarah's place," Chuck said sadly. "I wish you hadn't given this to me."

The truth was that Carina was feeling pretty awful herself. This nice, innocent guy didn't need to be thrown into Matlin's evil culture. "I'm sorry, Chuck," she said softly. "I wish I didn't have to give it to you too. You needed to know how it feels so now you can act like that."

They were silent for a long time. Finally Carina spoke. "It's been a couple of hours," she said. "Are you feeling back to normal?"

Chuck nodded. "I think so," he said. "At least I'm tired again. That's probably a good sign."

Carina breathed a sigh of relief. He was back. "It's a very good sign," she said with a smile. "Just remember. When you're supposed to be high around Matlin, you have to act like you're wired. Talk fast. Nothing bothers you. Can you do that?"

Chuck grinned at her. "It's kind of how I act when I'm nervous anyway," he said. "I think that the trick will be to be convincing when I'm not supposed to be high."

That got Carina laughing. "I think you might be right," she said.

"If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?" Chuck asked. "Sarah's coke problem… how worried should I be? If Matlin gets her high…"

Carina smiled at him. "Don't worry about that," she said. "Sarah is the strongest person I know. She really doesn't have a problem. She's just like you. She understands that she loves the feeling and if she used it, she eventually would develop a habit. So she stays away. If Matlin got her high, he wouldn't have any luck getting her in bed. If anything, she would be more likely to blow her cover and kick his ass. The issue would be if she wants to use it after the mission is over. It's great for sex. But from what she is always telling me, you already have that part covered. That's not going to happen, but if it does, come and see me."

Chuck nodded. The last thing he needed was something that would make Sarah want more sex. That was something he didn't ever think was possible. The thing was, he had misjudged Carina… badly. "I want to tell you something," he said. "I know that this is hard. I can't imagine how hard. And I'm not asking you to talk about what happened. I just want you to know that if you need to talk to someone other than Casey or Sarah, I'm here. I want you to know that you can also trust me."

Carina grasped Chuck very tightly and held on for a long, long moment. Chuck was just beginning to think that she was going to let it drop when she finally spoke. "This would just be between us?" she asked. "Please don't ever say anything about this to Casey or Sarah."

"I won't," Chuck said. "You can trust me."

Carina paused for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was so soft that Chuck had to strain to hear her. "It was surreal," she said. "Even today, I think about it as if I was seeing it happen to someone else… sort of like I was watching it happen on TV. Chuck… the men. There were so many of them. I tried and tried to fight but it was hopeless. And they were so vicious. Finally I stopped fighting and just took it. There was nothing else I could do. And they were laughing at me. They were taunting me. There wasn't a thing I could do. The worst part wasn't that I was going to die. The worst part was the feeling that I had failed. Do you know what I mean?"

Chuck just rubbed her back to let her know that he was listening.

"You don't know what you have to go through to become an agent," Carina continued, her voice now stronger. "How much you have to sacrifice and train. There were so many things that I still wanted to do with my life. And I knew that I was not going to be able to do them. I gave up hope. Chuck, I actually gave up hope. That was the worst part."

Chuck squeezed her tighter. "How did you make it back?" he asked.

"I had to," Carina said. "Otherwise they would have won. I had to come back and let them know that they couldn't beat me. And when I pull the trigger on Joel Matlin, I'll finally be able to say, I won you bastard."

Chuck continued to rub her back. "You're the bravest person I know," he said. "I'm so very proud of you. Thank you for trusting me."

Carina made no move to break their embrace. "No, Chuck," she said. "Thank you. You've made me feel a lot better. Sarah is the luckiest person I know."

Carina and Chuck were still in their embrace many minutes later when Casey and Sarah returned. Of course, Casey couldn't resist taking a shot. "Come on, Bartowski," he said in faux anger. "We've only been gone for two hours and you can't keep your hands off of her?"

Chuck knew that he couldn't allow Casey to get to him. "She is pretty hot," he said with a grin. "I assume by your mood that your mission was a success?"

Sarah narrowed her eyes in the same faux anger. "I start tonight," she said. "It looks like you've started already."

Chuck knew that she was teasing. "I assume that you have a transcript for me to read?" he asked Casey.

Casey grinned as he held up a cassette. "Even better," he said. "I have the tape. Let's go listen to it. I think that you're really, really going to enjoy it. I'll point out the good parts."

Sarah was trying hard not to laugh. "The hell you will," she said sternly. "Do you mind telling me what was going on in here when we walked in?"

Chuck just grinned at her. "Relax," he said. "Carina was just getting me high. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Well, I guess that she did pull my pants down that once. But at least Carina's still wearing her bra. I'm guessing that riding alone with Casey must not have done the job you were expecting. Or did he have the air conditioning on high?"

Sarah's battle with the giggles was now hopelessly lost. Was she really this aroused after only being away for a couple of hours? She'd have to figure this out… soon. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Take a wild guess."

x-x-x-x-x


	8. The Perfect Assignment

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **The Perfect Assignment**

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah were finally back in their apartment. They decided that it would be a good idea to take a nap before tonight's mission. It was going to be a long night. As soon as they were inside, Sarah held up Casey's tape. "Let's get this over with," she said. "You'll want to hear this."

Chuck smiled at her. "Why are you so eager for me to hear this?" he teased. "Are you feeling guilty? You do understand that just leaves me to imagine the worst. Was it the worst?"

Sarah grinned. "I guess that depends on your definition of worst," she said. "I didn't sleep with anyone."

"Why don't you just tell me what happened?" Chuck asked. "We're too tired to listen to any tape. Don't you agree?"

Chuck held out his arms to Sarah as an invitation. Sarah quickly accepted. "Of course," she said. "It wasn't that big of a deal. I asked to talk to the manager and asked him if I could get a job as a waitress. He was pretty sleazy. He spent the whole time looking at my chest and trying to talk me into becoming a dancer. He told me that I have too good of a body to be a waitress. Several times. I told him that I was too shy to dance, that I just wanted to be a waitress."

Chuck looked at her skeptically. "And he bought that?" he asked.

Sarah grinned. "Of course not," she said. "He said that they were only hiring waitresses who would dance someday. I told him that I might consider it later, once I got more comfortable."

Chuck stroked his chin in faux thought. "So," he said. "I'm sure that he insisted that you dance for him. You know, I'm not getting a good feel for how this happened. I need a visual. Maybe you could show me."

That got Sarah laughing. "Your come on is almost as lame as his," she teased. "You're close. He didn't actually make me dance. He just wanted to see my body." She reached for the hem of her shirt and slowly pulled it over her head. "It went something like this," she said. "I told him that this was as far as I was going. He must have believed me because he checked me out for a while and that was pretty much the end of it. He said okay and I start tonight. Oh, and he really, really is hoping to sleep with me."

Chuck pretended to check out her form. Well, he wasn't totally pretending. "Did he say that?" he asked. "Or are you just surmising?"

Sarah was fighting back the giggles. "I'm just surmising," she admitted. "But I'm pretty sure that I'm right."

Chuck was still in faux thought. "He's going to have to get in line," he said. "Your dance card is pretty full for the next fifty years or so. We might be able to work him in then."

Sarah was still giggling. "Maybe," she agreed. "I think he'll probably be dead by then. He didn't look all that healthy. He was pretty overweight. I also think that he might drink too much."

"That's too bad," Chuck said. "He's going to miss an awesome night."

Sarah was still giggling. "Thanks," she said. "In fifty years, I might have it perfected."

Chuck was still keeping up the thoughtful act. "I'm thinking that it's pretty perfected right now," he said. "I know this isn't ever going to happen. But if you ever did have to sleep with a mark, what would that look like? I've heard it helps avoid these situations if you practice. Too bad, you're probably too tired."

Well, that ended Sarah's giggling. Chuck really wanted to role play? Really? That was a surprise that was too exciting to pass up. "I'm not that tired," she said. "We can always take a nap later. I've heard that it's always best to do these things while they're fresh in your memory."

"You're the professional," Chuck said. "I'll take your word for it. So what's your next move?"

Sarah looked at him for a long moment. Yes, she was so on fire that she could barely stand. Yes, he was playing. But she had to be sure. "This is never going to really happen," she said. "That's a line I'll never cross. We have to agree on that first. I don't want to put any uncomfortable thoughts in your head."

Chuck smiled. "Of course," he agreed. "So do you have a next move in mind?"

Sarah nodded. "That's pretty much up to the mark," she said. "He has me over a barrel. I can't leave without getting that job. My entire mission depends on that. He can sense that I'm desperate."

Chuck fumbled with his phone for a second. Suddenly there was music playing. "This mark seems pretty sleazy to me," he said. "One look at your chest and he can tell that you're visibly aroused. He'd probably want the show of you dancing your way out of the rest of your clothes."

Sarah nodded and began to sway to the music. "They're all pretty sleazy," she said. "If I take off all my clothes, do I get the job?"

Chuck shook his head. "It's a good job," he said. "He'd probably want you to admit that you'll do anything to get it."

Sarah kicked off her pants and stood there posing. "Please," she said. "I really need this job. I'll do whatever it takes."

"This guy can't believe his luck," Chuck said. "He's minding his own business when this blonde beauty walks into his office, strips naked, and offers to do anything he asks for a lowly waitress job. He'd probably want to know how good of a kisser you are."

Sarah nodded. "Kissing is the worse part of any seduction mission," she said. "It's the first thing they tell you in Seduction School. You can fake everything else. But you have to make yourself get into kissing him." She pressed her mouth to his. Their tongues danced for a long moment.

Chuck grinned after the kiss broke. "You're doing very well," he said. "I'll bet you were a natural in Seduction School. The high-beams are a nice touch. He's buying that you want this."

"I do want this," Sarah said. "Carina always told me that this was easier if you could make yourself get into it. She was right. Getting the job is now an afterthought. I can feel that the mark is just as aroused as I am."

Chuck scooped her up and headed for the bed.

"I'm really going to enjoy working with you."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey and Carina were in the front seat of Casey's car. They were parked down the street from the club. Sarah was getting ready to begin her first shift. Chuck and Sarah were in the back seat snuggled together. "Have I told you lately how perfect you are?" she asked. "I'm sorry that we had to take off our wedding rings."

"It's okay," Chuck said with his classic grin. "If I'm lucky, maybe that's all you'll have to take off."

There it was. He could always make her laugh. This was a tense situation. Neither of them wanted to do this. After this afternoon's breakthrough, the only place they wanted to be was back in their apartment, planning their next white hot pretend adventure. Instead, they were here, in the seediest part of town, with her half-dressed. "That's funny," Sarah was finally able to choke out.

Carina had about enough listening to their banter. "Do you mind if we go to work?" she asked sarcastically. "Come on Sarah, this isn't the senior fucking prom. There is a world class animal in that club. I can't tell you all of the sick things that he would love to do to you. How about you get your fucking head in the game before you get us all killed? You can suck face with your new husband when we're done."

Carina lecturing her was Sarah's least favorite thing… especially when she was right. "Sorry," she said. "You're right. Let's go to work."

Naturally, Casey felt the need to tell them what they already knew. "Let's go over this one last time," he said. "Chuck is going to wait for about a half hour then go into the club and sit in your section. He is going to ask Angel for a few dances. Sarah, you are going to take a fancy to Chuck and start flirting with him. You're going to ice Matlin when he comes on to you. You both have wires. We'll be monitoring from out here. If you get in trouble, you're going to be on your own with the men inside while we take care of the guys in the cars. Then we'll come in with guns blazing. Any questions?"

Both Chuck and Sarah shook their heads in the negative.

As Sarah started to exit the car, Chuck reached over to kiss her goodbye. "Sorry, Chuck," she said flatly. "Not now. We're working."

Chuck recognized agent mode. "I understand," he said. "I'll see you inside."

As soon as Sarah left the car, Carina turned to Chuck. "Okay, Chuck," she said. "You remember what we talked about. If you get alone with Matlin, he is going to try and get you high. Just palm it like we practiced and act wired. Are you okay? I know that you can do this."

"I'm okay," Chuck insisted. "Thanks for the pep talk. Well, no, actually, I'm freaked out. I had a bad experience at the senior prom."

Carina was tense. She was also well into mission mode. But she couldn't keep in the laugh. "Didn't we all?" she asked.

"Don't worry," Chuck said. "I'm going to do whatever it takes."

"Just like always."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Chuck entered the club, he noticed Sarah taking a drink order. It was amazing. Even fully clothed surrounded by half-naked women, Sarah dominated the room. Chuck picked a table that was obviously in her section and sat down. He had only been sitting for a few moments when she came over.

"Hello," she said. "My name is Sarah. I'll be taking care of you tonight. What can I get you?"

"Hi, Sarah," Chuck said. "I'll have a beer. Has anybody told you that you're really pretty?"

Sarah grinned at the lameness of the line. He sure wasn't Bryce. And the silly boy thought that was a bad thing. She had already been hit on with every crude come on line known to man… and she had been working here a grand total of thirty minutes. "Yes," she said. "Almost everybody here has. But I can tell that you really mean it."

Chuck was well aware of Sarah's flirting style after having witnessed it many times on missions. Even though he knew that she was acting, he had a hard time concentrating when she was smiling at him. "Why do you say that?" he asked with a grin. "I'm sure that they all mean it. You are very pretty."

Sarah was playing a role. But her answer was the truth. "I don't know," she said as she walked away. "There's something about your eyes that's different from those other guys. I like it."

At least now Chuck understood what all those poor bastards were thinking. Just as Sarah was bringing his beer, Angel walked up.

Even though Angel was a professional flirt, it didn't have nearly the same impact. "Hi, Charles," she said in a soft voice. "I'm glad to see you back. Do you want a dance?"

"Of course", said Chuck with a smile. "Just let me pay for my drink first."

You had to know Sarah pretty well to realize that she was sizing up the girl that had been dancing naked on her husband's lap for the past few days. There was just something about Chuck and petite brunets. Her smile told Chuck not to worry. She approved of his choice. "That's okay," she said. "I'll run you a tab. If you need anything just let me know, okay? Anything at all."

Joel Matlin was sitting at a table in the corner of the club about twenty feet from where Chuck was sitting watching this happen. He really hadn't taken his eyes off Sarah since the moment she arrived. There were four other men sitting at the same table. Matlin motioned to her.

Sarah didn't have to ask who he was. It was obvious. She had certainly been leered at before… but this was at another level. She could feel the men's eyes on her as she approached the table. They were not making any attempt to hide the smirk on their faces. "Would you like another round?" she asked Matlin… without the smile that she had flashed for Chuck.

Matlin sized her up like a side of beef. He placed his hand on her side. "What I would really like," he said. "Is you in the back room… on your back. I'll make it worth your while. How about it?"

The men at the table laughed loudly.

Sarah quickly checked out his men. All were clearly packing a weapon. If it came down to a fight, she was hopelessly overmatched until Casey and Carina could get here. That would probably be too late to do any good. She knew that she was supposed to ice this disgusting pig. Fortunately, she didn't have to act. "Wow," she said flatly. "Good one. That's really original. Does that line ever actually work?"

Matlin was not deterred. He was used to getting what he wanted. And right now, he was staring at it. At least this newbie knew who he was and knew better than to move away from his hand. That was a start. So he raised it a little higher. "More than you think," he said. "It will work with you too, eventually anyway."

Sarah couldn't have possibly hated this guy any more than she already did. At least, there would be zero guilt in making his death as painful as her training allowed. "Maybe," she said dismissively. "But I wouldn't hold your breath. I'm not on the menu."

Matlin still wasn't deterred. Time was on his side. "We'll have to see about putting you on the menu," he said with a leer. "Until then, bring us another round."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey and Carina were in the car monitoring both conversations. "I see that Matlin is hitting on her already," Carina said. "How predictable is that? That guy is about as subtle as a car bomb."

"I'm really worried about Bartowski," Casey said with a sigh. "I'm not sure that he can handle seeing Walker in this environment. If he blows it, we're going to have a fight on our hands."

Carina looked out the window deep in thought. "Don't worry about Chuck," she said. "He'll do fine."

"Why do you say that?" Casey asked?

Carina's answer was simple. "Because he knows that he has to," she said. "He knows that it is up to him to keep Sarah safe. Man does he love her. He'll do anything that is required to make sure she's safe."

You're right about that," Casey agreed. "He really does love her. It was obvious the first week. I've never seen anyone have it so bad."

"You really don't know Sarah," Carina said with a smile. "She loves him ten times more than he loves her. I can't wait to see someone try to hurt Chuck. You won't believe what she'll become."

"I've seen her in action a few times," Casey protested. "She's a badass."

Carina shook her head. "Trust me," she replied.

"You haven't seen anything yet."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was at the bar getting her next order of drinks when Angel walked up. "How's your first day going?" she asked with a sarcastic laugh. They had to practically shout to be heard over the loud music.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, I guess," she said.

At least Angel was trying to be friendly. "Are you sorry that you took the job yet?" she asked. "I saw Matlin trying to feel you up. A word to the wise… he gets what he wants. He has the best coke you'll ever find. The best way to handle him is to let him get you high and give in to him until he gets bored with you."

Sarah laughed with her. It was plainly obvious that most everyone in the room had a coke habit. "Not my type," she said. "I can handle guys like him. I'll get my coke someplace else. Speaking of wanting something, who's that guy that you were just with? He's really cute."

Angel was surprised. "Oh, you mean Charles," she said. "If you say so. He probably could be. I really don't think he is into chicks, if you know what I mean."

Sarah had to stay in character. But anyone speaking badly about Chuck wasn't a way to make friends. "Why would you say that?" she asked.

"I don't know," Angel said. "I've danced for him like a hundred times and nothing. I'm not sure why he keeps me dancing but it's obvious that he's not interested. I've offered to take him in the back a few times and all he tells me is maybe later."

Okay, so now Sarah really had to stay in character. She knew that Chuck hated this. But to her it from a pro who knew exactly what she was looking for? Wow. "You're kidding?" she said. "As long as you're not getting anywhere, would you mind if I took a shot at him? He's not like all of these other guys. I don't know. He's sort of innocent or something. Whatever it is, it turns me on."

Angel didn't hesitate. "Knock yourself out," she said. "I didn't think you were a pro."

"I'm not," Sarah said with a smile as she picked up her tray of drinks. "I'm an amateur. I just think he's hot. You know how it is? Some guys just get your motor running. I can't explain it."

Joel Matlin was watching Sarah, so he saw them talking. As soon as Angel walked away, he motioned her over. One thing was for sure. Matlin was king of this place. As soon as Angel caught his signal, she walked directly over to him as quickly as she could. "Hi, Mr. Matlin," she said with a smile. "How are you tonight? Do you want a dance?"

"I'm great," Matlin said. He grabbed Angel and confidently pulled her onto his lap. "Maybe in a bit. I noticed that you were talking to the new girl."

Angel knew what was expected. She leaned her head against Matlin's chest seductively. "You mean Sarah," she said. "Yes, sir."

"She's really hot, isn't she?" Matlin said with a grin. "You know me with the new girls? I want her. I need your help to make it happen. I'd like you to make friends with her. Clue her in on what's important here. Find out what she likes. I would make it worth your while."

Angel nodded. "I'd do anything for you, Mr. Matlin," she said. "You know that. But I already know what she likes. See that man over there with the dark curly hair and the green shirt? She thinks he is hot. She just told me that she wants a shot at him."

"Really?" Matlin said. He kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, Angel. That's why you're my favorite girl. That just earned you an invitation to my party tonight."

For a cokehead like Angel, getting invited to one of Matlin's almost nightly parties was the mother lode. They were legendary and mysterious. Only the rich and well connected were allowed. Whatever they wanted, Matlin supplied. The coke flowed like water. "Really?" Angel asked. "Thank you so much, Mr. Matlin. You know how much I love your parties. I really am looking forward to it."

Matlin smiled. "You earned it," he said.

"Deliver me the new girl and this will become a regular thing."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck probably shouldn't have been watching Sarah wait on tables so intently. He couldn't help but smile at how men's heads would turn and follow her around the room. He took a long drink of his beer. And when he looked up, Joel Matlin was standing next to him. "Hi," he said. "My name is Joel. Do you mind if I join you?"

Chuck really shouldn't have been surprised. After all, this was exactly what they had hoped for. But it had only been a little over an hour. Sarah was a fast worker. "Sure," he said. "Please sit down. My name is Charles."

"It's nice to meet you, Charles," Matlin said as he motioned to Sarah. "I've noticed you in here a lot in the past few days so I thought I'd come over and introduce myself. Can I buy you a drink?"

Sarah walked up. "Bring us another round," Matlin said. "Put it on my tab."

Sarah flashed her sexiest smile at Chuck. "Another beer, Charles?"

It took a long moment for Chuck to realize that she was talking to him. That was a screw up. Carina would hand his ass to him later. "That would be great," he said.

Matlin watched their interaction with interest. Angel was right. This was going to easy. It might even happen tonight. As soon as Sarah left to get the drinks, he turned to Chuck.

"She really likes you," he said.

What was the use of perfecting the playing dumb thing if you weren't going to use it? "Who?" Chuck asked.

"That waitress," replied Matlin. "Sarah, I think is her name."

"Really?" Chuck asked. "What makes you think so?"

Matlin looked at Chuck with a bemused look as he shook his head. This was almost too easy. These bashful guys came into this place needing to get laid because they were too timid to talk to a woman in a regular bar. "I don't think," he said. "I know. Didn't you see the way she flashed that 'take me home' smile at you? You're a lucky man. Play your cards right and she'll spend the night showing you how she can suck a golf ball through a garden hose. She's so incredibly hot, isn't she? Tell me you wouldn't fight every man in this bar for a piece of that?"

Chuck looked around the bar awkwardly. He had hoped that this wouldn't be so hard. Hearing this creep speak so grossly about his wife was about all he could take. But he knew what he had to do. "She's okay," he said without much conviction. "But I was never much for blondes. You know the one that I think is hot is Angel."

Matlin couldn't believe his good luck. This was going to work out well for everyone. He started laughing. "You're kidding?" he asked. "Angel? You know that she's a pro, don't you? For two bills, she'll take you in the back and turn you inside out."

Chuck shook his head. "I know," he said. "But I have something against paying for it. It sort of ruins it for me. But man, is she hot."

Matlin moved in for the kill. "Charles," he said. "I think that we can help each other out here. I can make that happen for you. Angel is a good friend of mine. She is already coming to a very private party that I'm throwing tonight. I would like you to invite Sarah and be my guests."

Chuck looked around the bar awkwardly. "I don't know," he said.

"Trust me," Matlin said. "This is something you won't want to miss. You'll have a good time. Sometime we'll make a trade and you'll wind up with Angel. A couple lines of coke and she'll be your dream girl."

Chuck shook his head nervously. "I could never ask a girl that I've never met before to a party," he said nervously. "I've never been good at that sort of thing." It was true. He never had been good at it.

Matlin laughed. "Let me handle this," he said.

Just then Sarah returned with the drinks. Matlin turned to her with a grin. "Sarah," he said. "Charles here has just agreed to come to my personal private party tonight. But he doesn't have a date. He was just telling me how beautiful he thinks you are. Would you like to come to my party as Charles's date? My parties are legendary. I promise you'll have a great time."

Being able to blush on demand was a required skill for a CIA agent. "Charles," she said. "Is that true? You really think that I'm pretty?"

Watching Sarah questioning if someone thought she was pretty was funny. Chuck had to fight the urge to laugh. "Sure," he said. "Of course I think you're pretty. Will you come?"

Sarah flashed the sexy smile again. "Okay," she said. "I'd like that."

Matlin grinned at the happy couple. In a few hours, she'd be so wasted that she wouldn't know who was plowing her. "Great," he said. "Meet me back here at midnight. I'll have a limo waiting for you."

Chuck turned to Sarah. "We have a couple of hours to kill before midnight," he said. "What time do you get off?"

Tonight's trial shift had been intentionally short. "I'm done in ten minutes," Sarah said.

"Would you like to go somewhere and talk?" Chuck asked. "Maybe we can get better acquainted."

Sarah could feel her tell popping out. It wasn't very professional. She'd have to figure out a way to control it. But it worked out well for tonight's purposes. Since Matlin's eyes never left her chest anyway, he certainly noticed. "Why not?" Sarah said. "It sounds like fun."

"That's great," Matlin said.

"I'll see you both back here at midnight."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was the first one to return to the car. "Nice work, Chuck," Carina said. "You really had him going."

Chuck smiled. "Thanks," he said. "I feel like I need to take a shower."

Just then Sarah arrived. As soon as Sarah was in the car, Casey drove away. "What an asshole," she sighed.

Chuck turned to her. "I hope you're talking about Matlin," he said.

That got the car laughing. "You're in an awfully good mood," Sarah said. "Considering that you just agreed to serve up your wife to that lowlife. What's up? Are you planning on helping him get me naked?"

"Hey," Chuck said. "I just walked into a bar and got the hottest woman there to go home with me. Take that, Bryce Larkin. As far as getting you naked, I seriously doubt that he'd need any help."

So now they were all really laughing. "Where are we going anyway?" Chuck asked.

"Just for a drive," Casey said. "We can't risk being seen here. We have two hours to plan our strategy for this party."

"Wait a second," Chuck said with a grin. He slid over to Sarah and put his arms around her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Naturally, he didn't have to wait long for Sarah to respond. Soon their tongues were dancing. After several moments Chuck held up one finger to stall Casey, who was obviously growing impatient. Their make out session lasted for several minutes. Finally Chuck broke the kiss. "Sorry guys," he said. "I just wanted to stay in character for a few minutes."

"We were getting better acquainted."

x-x-x-x-x


	9. Some Kind of Party

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Some Kind of Party**

x-x-x-x-x

Carina turned to look at Chuck and Sarah in the back seat and couldn't help but grin. Even though it was quite dark they were clearly really going at it. After several minutes she decided that they had been having quite enough fun. "Do you two think we could go to work now?" she asked in mostly mock exasperation. "I mean, I don't want to mess up your characters. Are you well enough acquainted yet?"

Chuck didn't look up. "Maybe," he said. "Although this is a serious assignment. You can really never be too prepared. How acquainted do you think Matlin thinks we're getting? If he asks me how good she is, what should I tell him?"

Carina pretended to be serious. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe you should go for it right now and find out. Casey and I will watch to give our opinion of Agent Walker's sexual prowess. I've been wanting to see this anyway."

Okay, so she called his bluff. "We can go to work now," Chuck sighed.

"Good," Carina said. "In that case, do you think that maybe you could take your hand out of her shirt? Because I'd sort of like her to be able to concentrate on what I'm saying. Call it the professional in me. It would be a shame you two getting killed tonight and all. Imagine all the paperwork they would make poor Casey fill out."

Chuck finally broke the embrace and started laughing. "What's the deal?" he asked. "It's usually Casey that's the spoil sport. I would have thought that you, of all people, would appreciate the beauty of a little well executed second base action."

"I did," Carina admitted. "For about the first ten minutes. But come on."

Sarah had been crunched in the seat, giving Chuck a perfect angle to feel her up in any way he chose. He had just called it second base action. He was being a little coy. She sat up in the seat and lifted her head. "I remember about five years ago in Pittsburgh," she said sarcastically. "I was in the front seat where you are now and looked back. You didn't have a shirt on at all. You were rounding third base and the coach was waving you home. Remember that?"

Carina groaned. Sarah would never let her live that night down. "Okay," she said. "So I was stupid. In my defense, I was a rookie, and that guy was really hot. If your friends all jumped off a bridge does that mean that you would too?"

Sarah pressed her advantage. "If I remember that night," she said. "There was more than one hot guy in that back seat."

Carina tried to mount a counter attack. "And if I remember," she said. "You weren't wearing much all that…"

"Ladies," Casey interrupted. "Do you think that we could postpone this episode of Battle of the Network Sluts? We do have some work to do tonight."

"Aw gee, Dad," Chuck said. "Just five more minutes? That's my favorite show."

That got everyone laughing. "Okay," Sarah sighed as she pulled her shirt back into place. "Let's go back to work."

"We're flying blind here," Casey said. "We have no idea of the location. All we can do is track you via GPS. This should be Matlin's inner circle. It will be much more heavily fortified than the club, so you're going to be on your own. All we want tonight is Intel. Stay out of trouble. Chuck, hopefully, you'll flash on something. We'll be monitoring you both from the car."

"I'm guessing that Matlin will be throwing coke around pretty freely," Carina said. "It's his main weapon. He obviously has some plan to get into Sarah's pants that he thinks will work."

"Doesn't everyone?" Chuck asked sadly.

That got a snicker from Carina. "Probably," she said. "Sarah, I know that Chuck has you sitting there all worked up and everything. But it might be best if you avoid being alone with Matlin. Stay away from the coke. Maybe that way you could keep your clothes on and manage to not actually give it up to him tonight. We need to keep him interested."

Sarah grinned. "You mean like you kept your clothes on and didn't give it up in Pittsburgh?" she asked. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Bad example."

Casey was trying hard not to laugh. "Ladies, ladies," he said. "Do you think that we could save all of this hostility for the bad guys?"

Chuck tried to slide over to his side of the back seat but Sarah grabbed him and held him in place. "I really, really don't want to do this," she sighed. "A year ago, I would have lived for this type of opportunity. Now, I could stay here in this back seat necking with you while Casey drives us around… forever."

Chuck reached up and gently kissed her. "I know," he said. "Me too. Do you want to cancel?"

Sarah held him tight for a long, long moment. "More than you'll ever know," she finally said. "But we can't. Sweetie, this is the very last time I'm letting someone see me naked for a stupid assignment. You don't deserve that."

Chuck looked at her in the dark. "You don't have to say that," he said. "I understand your training. Sarah, you don't have anything to apologize for. I knew what I was getting with you from day one."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm a married woman," she insisted. "It's probably about time that I started to act like it. Just because my husband is perfect doesn't relieve me of my obligations. I've changed. You've changed me. You really don't understand how strongly I feel about you. I know that you don't, because if you did, you'd be freaked out a little. I just don't have the words to tell you. I wish I did."

Chuck knew that she was getting emotional… and he needed to let her off the hook a little. "I'm not crazy about your timing," he said. "I really enjoyed our little game this afternoon. Technically, that was letting someone see you naked for an assignment."

And there it was. No matter how down, or tired, or angry, or… whatever… he could always make her laugh. It came out pretty wet. "Not half as much as I did," she protested. "We're still going to do that… often. When the mark is you… that's a horse of a different color."

Chuck joined her laughing. "I know one thing," he said. "As soon as we get home, you're telling me this Pittsburgh story. Don't even try that classified crap. I want details. I'm talking reenactment. We'll find a suitable replica of a back seat someplace in our apartment."

Sarah grinned at her husband. "In this particular story, there were two guys in that back seat," she teased. "Just how much reenactment are you expecting?"

"I might have to make some arrangements first."

x-x-x-x-x

Joel Matlin was talking to Angel in the back room of the club. "I need a big favor," he said.

Angel was stunned. Matlin wasn't the kind of guy who asked for favors. He just assumed that everyone was too afraid of him to not give him anything he asked for. He was right. He often had people do uncomfortable things, just for sport. "Mr. Matlin," she said. "You know that I'd do anything that you asked me to."

"I know," Matlin said. "That's why you're my favorite girl. I need your help. I'm going to need you to seduce Charles tonight."

"I'll do anything," Angel said. "But I don't think it's going to work. Charles is not into me. I've already tried a bunch of times. He's never been interested."

"I was just talking to him," Matlin said. "He told me that he thinks you're hot. He just has a problem paying for sex. He must be a romantic or something. I'm going to need you to convince him that you want him for real. That way, he'll trade the new girl for you. Can you do that for me? I'll gladly pay you your regular rate for whatever you do."

Angel shook her head. "You know that I could never take your money," she said. "I owe you so much already. I'm happy to do anything that you ask."

"When I'm done with him, he won't remember his own name."

x-x-x-x-x

Matlin was waiting for Chuck and Sarah when they arrived back at the club. Angel was locked on to his arm, the very picture of the devoted girlfriend. "Hi," he said. "I'm so glad that you could make it. Let's go. Are you ready to party?"

Sarah had a hold of Chuck's arm. She gave it a squeeze so that her rock hard chest conspicuously rubbed up against his. "I think that I'm ready for anything," she said, the double meaning of her words completely intentional.

Matlin made zero effort to hide that he was leering at Sarah's chest. "That's the spirit," he said as he led them to a limo parked in the lot just outside the club. "Sarah, I like your attitude. Remember that feeling later."

Chuck had never been in a nicer limo. Of course, before becoming the human Intersect, he hadn't been in that many limos before. He settled in the very back seat. Sarah snuggled in right next to him. Matlin and Angel sat directly behind the driver facing them. "Tell me, Charles," Matlin said. "Do you like coke?"

Chuck grinned. "Actually," he said. "I prefer Pepsi. How about you?"

Even Matlin had to laugh. "Good one," he said. "How about you Sarah? You'll never find better coke than you're going to have tonight."

Sarah was noncommittal. "That sounds interesting," she said with a smile. "I'm always interested in quality." She snuggled a little closer into Chuck. This technically was a role, but it was a very easy one to play. "How about it, Charles?" she asked. "Let's do a couple of lines and see if we can pick up where we left off in the car. Who knows where the night will take us? I have a feeling that I know already."

Angel knew her assignment just as well. She wasn't as beautiful as this blonde Goddess. But she was a professional flirt. "You're really in for a treat," she said with her own seductive smile. "Nobody has better coke. Nobody. It makes you get wild. Are you ready to get wild Charles?"

Chuck knew his wife well enough to know that she hadn't missed the fact that this woman was overtly flirting with him right in front of her… and that she was going to pay a price sometime tonight. So the grin was natural. "It looks like tonight is the night for it," he said.

With the tinted windows and the conversation, Chuck had no idea where they were. But the car had stopped. "Great," Matlin said. He didn't wait for the driver. He opened the door to the limo himself. "We're here. Let's get ready to party." He offered his hand to Sarah to help her out.

"Here's to getting wild."

x-x-x-x-x

Casey and Carina had an easy time tracking the limo with the GPS devices that Chuck and Sarah were wearing. It led them to a rundown area by the docks. The limo pulled up to a gate and flashed its headlights. After a moment, the gate opened to let the limo enter the lot. Casey parked his car on the street about a block away. "Holy fuck," Carina sighed. "What a neighborhood. I'm glad that we're heavily armed. I don't know who is in more danger, Chuck and Sarah inside the party, or us out here."

"Yeah," Casey said. "This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Cheap, easy to secure, tons of escape routes, and by the docks. Something is telling me that it is a lot nicer inside."

"Probably," Carina agreed. "And a lot safer."

"I'm really worried about that gate," Casey said with a sigh. "There's no way for us to get in there quickly in case it goes bad. They're on their own."

"Don't worry," Carina said softly. "Sarah is in there."

"Chuck couldn't possibly be any safer."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was amazed as he entered the party. In sharp contrast to the rough neighborhood outside, the inside was fabulous. They were in what could only be described as a giant wedding reception ballroom… from lifestyles of the rich and famous. There were couches arraigned in square patterns around tables in several spots. In one corner of the room was a large dance floor. In another corner was a full bar that was staffed by a tender serving drinks. Next to the bar was a full buffet. A kitchen was directly behind the buffet. On the opposite side of the room, there were several doors. There were about fifteen people in the room with more guests arriving steadily. Several of the female guests were obviously working due to their state of undress. The lap dances they were giving wouldn't have been allowed in the public club. It was as close to an orgy as Chuck ever wanted to be.

Whatever faults Matlin had… and he had tons… he was a good host. "Make yourself at home," he said Matlin as they entered the room. Help yourself to whatever you want to eat or drink. He indicated one of the doors with a nod of his head. "In that room is all the coke you could ever want. Just walk in, and help yourself."

Sarah wanted to get Chuck alone for a minute to make sure he was okay. So she grabbed his hand. "Let's go, Charles," she said. "I can't wait to try this coke that they're raving about."

Matlin slapped Chuck on the back with a laugh. "That's the spirit" he said. "Get her wild right away. I have to play host for a few minutes. I'll catch up to you a little later and we can chat or whatever else we feel like."

Sarah pulled Chuck into the indicated room. Inside was indeed a pile of cocaine and all of the necessary accessories. "Are you okay?" she asked. "This scene is pretty wild."

"Sure," Chuck said sarcastically. "It's my first orgy. A woman is trying to get me in bed in front of my badass wife who's about to go on a three state killing spree. What's not to be okay about?"

In spite of the tense situation, Sarah couldn't help but laugh. "This is an assignment," she said. "You're not accountable for anything that happens tonight from a wife perspective. For the record, she's not the only woman that will be trying to get you into bed. This is a role that I'm loving. When we leave this room, we act wired. Are you up to it?"

Chuck nodded. "I'm nervous enough that it's not that much of a stretch," he said.

Sarah grinned at him. "Good," she said. "Now is the part where we go sit on a couch and I try and talk you into coming home with me so that I can do unspeakable things to you. I assume you'll be up for that?"

Chuck grinned back. "I assume that you mean figuratively," he said. "But no matter what you meant, I'm pretty sure I've got it covered. How long do I have to play hard to get?"

"I assume that you mean figuratively," Sarah said. "We have to stay for about an hour. We'll come back in here in about a half hour. Then I'll talk Matlin into taking us home and flirt until he invites us back tomorrow."

"Okay," Chuck said. "I guess I'm ready."

"If you flash, hide your face in my hair," Sarah said softly."

"I'd rather hide my face in your chest," Chuck teased. "But on second thought, you could put out an eye with those things."

"This is all your fault," Sarah protested with a seductive grin. "I keep telling you that. This is going to be different than the car."

Sarah was right. It was different. Even though Chuck knew what she was doing he was mesmerized. The car had been loving and comfortable. This was pure lust. She was showing the room what a seduction really looked like. The feeling was definitely starting to become so intense as to be almost painful. After a few moments he looked around the room, determined to break her spell. As his eyes met those of a man across the room, the flash hit. As instructed, he buried his face in her hair.

Of course Sarah recognized that Chuck had flashed. She had been expecting it. She simply smiled and kissed him softly. She stood up and grabbed his hand. "I think that it's time for another line," she said. As soon as they were safely in the coke room, Sarah turned to Chuck. "Who did you flash on?" she asked.

"Max Andrews," Chuck said. "He is an agent with the customs department."

All Sarah could see for a long moment was red. Yes, there was evil in the world. But this guy had taken an oath. This was exactly the type of person that 'Wild Card Enforcer Agent Walker' was famous for hunting down and shooting. There was a special place in hell for someone like that. "That must be how Matlin is getting his cocaine into the country," she said, stating the obvious conclusion. It's an inside job. He has a customs agent on his payroll. "Nice work. Let's go back and sit for a few minutes. Then we can get out of here."

As soon as they were back in the main room, Chuck sat back down on the couch. Sarah sat on his lap. "I know that you hate this in front of everyone," she said. "But it's time to sell it." She kissed him.

When he felt her tongue probing for access, Chuck returned the kiss tentatively.

That wasn't going to fly. "Allow me to put this into perspective for you," she said. "We need to get out of here soon and get invited back. There is only one way that doesn't include me naked in the back with Matlin… probably on my knees a time or two. I can stall him for one night if I can convince him that you and I are going to hook up tonight. And that means you start feeling me up immediately. Stop being a nice guy. You have a woman who is clearly into you high as a kite. Put your hand inside my shirt. Take it off if you want. If it helps, pretend we're home alone. Let your hands go wherever they want. Sell to these people that you want me right now."

The argument made a lot of sense. It sure wouldn't be out of place. Lots of couples were necking… and more. In fact, most of the ladies weren't wearing much. And she wasn't exactly asking him to submit to a round of torture. Although normally Chuck was shy about PDA, he quickly warmed into the part. Rubbing her back as they kissed, he allowed himself to become very aroused. About half way through the make out session, Chuck's hands wandered up Sarah's shirt. He wasn't about to take her shirt off here in public. Hopefully she knew him better than that. So he settled for allowing it to drift up past her navel.

After a couple of moments Matlin and Angel walked up. "I'd ask you if you were having a good time," he said. "But it's pretty obvious that you are."

Sarah flashed her beaming smile at him. "We really are," she said. "Thank you so much for inviting us. Mr. Matlin, I'm so impressed. Do you think I could have a word with you in private for a second?"

Matlin grinned as he offered his hand. She was pretty worked up. What else could she possibly want? "Of course," he said. As they walked away, Matlin motioned towards Chuck to Angel with his eyes. Angel slightly nodded to tell him that she had received the message.

Matlin was plainly trying to guide her to his private room. Sarah knew where that would quickly lead. So as soon as they were out of earshot, Sarah turned and grabbed his other hand. "Mr. Matlin," Sarah said.

Matlin had won. They both knew it. He dropped her hand and placed his on her side. "Please," he said. "Call me Joel."

Sarah nodded. "Okay, Joel," she said. "First let me apologize for being so rude at the club today. I was totally out of line."

There was one thing about men like Matlin, they weren't shy. His hand had already slipped up her side until it cupped her right breast. "No problem," he said suggestively. "I think that I know how you can make it up to me."

Sarah didn't protest or pull away. She really couldn't. She needed to flirt her way into another invitation. Hopefully Chuck wasn't watching this. It was exactly what she had just promised him she wouldn't do again. But for now, she just stood there and watched him grope her. "I want to thank you for your hospitality tonight," she said. "That is, by far, the best coke I've ever had. It's amazing. I hope that you don't think that I'm being rude. But I really want to take Charles home. We're really starting to hit it off, if you know what I mean. But I really hope that next time we get together, you and I can get better acquainted. I'd like to spend some time making sure that I apologize appropriately."

Matlin considered her proposal. She had just offered herself to him tomorrow. Oh, he could probably press her into a quickie right now. But tomorrow she had just offered him the entire package. "I'd like that very much." he said as he continued to massage her breast. "How about you bring Charles back tomorrow night?"

"You're having another party tomorrow?" Sarah asked.

Matlin grinned. "We do this almost every night," he said. "I'm still looking forward to seeing you on your back."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. Her bluff had worked. She grinned back at him. "Enough coke tomorrow and who knows what might happen?" She wiggled out of his grasp. "You wouldn't mind if whatever we did, that it was out of Charles's sight do you? I have a good feeling about him and I don't want to scare him off."

Matlin nodded. Being out of sight worked well for what he had in mind. That was the general idea. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll keep Charles occupied. He won't even realize you're gone."

"Until tomorrow then," Sarah said. "This coke is really making me wild."

"Do you like to get wild, Joel?"

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Matlin and Sarah left the couch, Angel took Sarah's place on Chuck's lap. "Are you trying to make me jealous?" she asked.

"Jealous?" Chuck asked. "I thought you were working?"

Angel sighed. "Okay, I'm a pro. I'm not on the clock tonight. This is just you and me. I'm also a woman."

Chuck was forced to grin at the ridiculousness of the situation. "You sure are," he agreed.

"People always think that a pro can't have genuine feelings," Angel said sadly. "I do have feelings. Right now I'm feeling something for you. I didn't like seeing you making out with that Sarah bitch. I bet that I'm a much better kisser than she is. Do you think we could go in the back and talk or something? I'd love to be able to prove it to you. Who knows where it might lead? I really do like you. I bet I could do things that she's never dreamt of."

Calling his wife a bitch sure wasn't a way to get on Chuck's good side. But he had a job to do. Fortunately his job was similar to Sarah's. "Angel," he said. "I can't tell you how hot I think that you are. I'd really love to go in the back with you. But I already promised Sarah I would go home with her. We are just leaving. Next time we're together, we'll hook up. I promise."

Just then Sarah walked up and extended her hand. "Are you ready to go Charles?" she asked.

Talk about a dumb question. Chuck had been ready to go since the moment they got here… for several different reasons… on several levels. Not least of which was getting back to the hot necking in Casey's back seat. "Absolutely," he replied.

They were almost out the door. Of course, it wouldn't be the stupid Intersect if it hadn't picked the worst possible time to go off. Chuck locked eyes on a man just entering the party.

Sarah could see the flash happen in his face. "Who this time?" she asked.

"John Marsh," Chuck said. "He's a deputy chief of police."

He could immediately see the alarm in Sarah's face. "Has he seen me?" she asked.

"No," Chuck replied.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Chuck said. "He just walked in the room. He is facing the other way."

"Don't let him see me," Sarah whispered. "I know him."

"He would recognize me."

x-x-x-x-x


	10. Sensei

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Sensei**

x-x-x-x-x

Team Chuck was gathered in Chuck and Sarah's apartment after the party. By mutual unspoked agreement, they hadn't discussed the mission on the drive. Finally Casey couldn't stand it any longer. "Sarah," he said. "How do you know John Marsh?"

"He was the L.A. Police department liaison with the CIA," Sarah said. "It was usually Bryce, but I've briefed him a couple of times on upcoming missions, intelligence on threats, things like that."

"Are you sure that he'd remember you?" Casey asked.

"I'm pretty sure," Sarah said. "I certainly remember him. I think that I still have a full set of his fingerprints on my ass. I slapped his face pretty hard. I imagine that moment is burned into his memory." She turned to Chuck with a grin. "Only criminals and husbands get to grope me uninvited," she said. "Law enforcement is off limits."

Chuck returned her grin. He knew enough about Sarah to know that if she slapped your face in anger, you'd remember it… once you remembered where you were. "Good to know," he said. "Although technically, he's probably a criminal."

That got Sarah laughing. "True," she said. "Maybe I should find him and apologize for slapping him."

"I'll bet Bryce kicked his ass," Chuck said.

Sarah shook her head. "Bryce couldn't have cared less," she said. "Chuck, this is another perfect example of how you have always misunderstood Bryce. He wasn't my boyfriend. His jealousy was very selective. He liked Marsh. They hit it off. To Bryce, sex is currency. Had I been at all willing, he would have used me to make some deposits in his account. If anything, Bryce encouraged me to rock people like Marsh's world from time to time. He said that you could never have enough friends in important places. Bryce had a long list of men he wanted me to 'make friends' with."

Chuck just shook his head sadly. She was right. He didn't understand their relationship… probably never would. "But why in the hell was he at that party?" he asked.

"Because he's dirty," Carina said. "Think about it. Joel Matlin magically knows whenever the DOD has someone undercover targeting him. This liaison guy shows up at his party. I'll bet he knows every time someone is under cover in his jurisdiction, doesn't he?"

"Of course," Sarah said. "The L.A. Police Department gets a briefing on when and where undercover agents are assigned in their jurisdiction so that they can broadcast an 'undercover on scene' warning in case they get a call. Marsh is the one who gets that information."

They all pretty much came to the logical conclusion at the same time. "Marsh is the sonofabitch who tipped off Matlin that Carina was undercover," Casey said.

Carina nodded sadly. "It sure as hell looks that way," she said.

"We have some serious problems," Casey said. "Walker is our ticket into that party. But if Marsh ID's her we're in big trouble. How are we going to keep him away from her?"

Chuck raised his head. "Are we sure that he doesn't already know?" he asked.

Sarah shook her head. "He only gets briefed on the exact day the undercover officer is in place," she said. "As far as anyone knows, we canceled our assignment. Even Beckman doesn't know what we're doing. In fact, we're going to have to be very careful. When we call in our raid, they won't know that undercovers are on scene. We'll have to be out of there or they will assume we're part of the gang."

Casey paused for a moment. "Larkin is buddy-buddy with this guy," he said. "That would be very helpful. Maybe he can feel him out. Walker, do you know how to contact him secretly?"

Sarah saw the look on Chuck's face that said it was a very good question. The last thing she wanted to admit was that she did have a way… not until she could talk to him alone about it. It was a given that he'd jump to the wrong conclusion. So she deflected. "We don't need Bryce," she said. "We don't have time anyway."

"I know," Carina said with a sudden smile. "Trust me. I know exactly what to do. I just got the idea remembering our previous discussion about that night in Pittsburgh. We're going to do the same thing."

Sarah was relieved for the change of subject. "I'm not sure that Casey is going to be wild about that," she teased.

Carina's smile became a broad grin. "Well, maybe not exactly the same thing," she said.

"I don't know," Sarah said, her face growing serious. "Carina, that's pretty dangerous. Are you sure that you're up for that given your history with this bunch?"

Carina started laughing. "How long have you been a spy?" she asked. "You're talking to me about dangerous? Besides, I want these guys, in a totally different way."

Casey looked around. "Someone care to tell me what the hell happened in Pittsburgh?" he asked.

Chuck agreed. "You took the words right out of my mouth," he said.

Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand. "I'll tell you the story as soon as we're alone," she said.

"Sounds pretty unprofessional to me," Casey said.

Now it was Carina's turn to grab Casey's hand. "It was," she said sadly.

"Very unprofessional."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as they were alone, Chuck put his arms around Sarah and kissed her.

Sarah certainly made no move to stop him. "What was that for?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining in any way."

"No reason," Chuck said. "I just missed you."

That got Sarah laughing. "You missed me?" she asked. "We've been making out all night."

Chuck was serious. "I know," he said with a sigh. "But that was work. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that you had to let that creep feel you up in front of an entire roomful of people."

Sarah's heart sank. "You saw that?" she asked sadly. "I was hoping that you didn't. You see stuff like that too often."

Chuck's face turned into his classic grin. "I was hoping that maybe you could show me what might have happened if Matlin had gotten you into his room," he said hopefully. Then he paused for a moment and shook his head. "I'm overdoing this," he said. "I'm sorry. It's just that the making out all night has me on fire. I'm really sorry."

Sarah put her hands on each side of his face and forced him to look at her. "I'm trying to stay calm here," she said. "You're just being sweet. I get that. It's hard to get mad at you. You can't help it with the nicest guy in the world thing. But I want you to look into my eyes and understand how serious I'm being. It's not possible for you to overdo something like that. In case you bumped your head and forgot, we're married. We should still be on our honeymoon. Your being on fire, whatever the reason, is my very favorite thing in the world. You're never to apologize for that, agreed?"

Chuck nodded his head.

"Playing a role like that is hot as hell," Sarah said. "It's an instant turn on for me. I can't believe you can't feel it suddenly poking into your chest. It's not even outside of a normal married sex life at all. And here is the honest truth. If you asked me to play the role of Matlin's helpless plaything with you ten times a day, I'd be just as on fire the tenth time as the first. Chuck, okay, so you're a nice guy. You're overly sensitive to treating me in any way that could be considered disrespectful. I get all that. It's well documented and sweet. What do I have to do to get through to you that we're married… and I love it when you do things like that?"

Chuck sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "You're right. It's just that…"

"A bit of fair warning," Sarah interrupted. "If you're about to say that I'm out of your league, it's not going to go well for you. It would be much better if you just didn't say anything. I'm in no mood to hear something like that today."

Chuck didn't say anything. He just nodded.

Naturally, that got Sarah laughing. "Smart boy," she said. "So here is my advice. Instead of being sorry, embrace your game. Play it to the fullest extent. And as long as we're having this discussion, I do have one critique on your role playing. It's the same thing I would say about you collecting your bet winnings the other night. Men like Matlin aren't looking for love making. They're not even after sex… not really… that's an afterthought. They're looking for a conquest. They want a submissive performance to find out where your limits are and force you over them. They get off on seeing you squirm. Making you take off your clothes would only be the first, very, very small step. They know that you're afraid of pissing them off and they use that to see how far they can get you to degrade yourself. They're not generous at all. Your pleasure wouldn't even be on their radar. This afternoon was beyond fantastic. All of our love making is. But it wasn't really realistic. If you want to be Matlin, you're going to have to start demanding wilder things."

Chuck's shoulders sagged. "I know what you're saying," he sighed. "I just don't want to treat you like that. You get that all the time from men. You don't need it from me."

Sarah sagged into him. "I know," she said. "The irony here is that you're the one man who I want to treat me like that. I get it. I'm married to the nicest guy in the world… and I'm complaining about it. That kinda makes me sound like an ungrateful bitch."

Chuck shook his head. "You know that I don't like it when you refer to yourself as a bitch," he said.

Sarah looked at him. "You're always saying that you want me to open up more to you," she said. "I need to get better at that. So I have something to tell you. It's kinda a confession. Fair warning… it might sound silly but I'm being 100% serious. This is going to be very hard for me. If you laugh…"

Chuck looked at her eyes. Her unexpressed warning was very serious. She was right. It was going to be very hard for her. Hopefully it was a breakthrough. "Sarah, I would never laugh 'at' you," he assured. "Only 'with' you. Please don't worry about that. If something is bothering you then it's bothering me… no matter how silly you might think that it sounds. You can tell me anything."

Sarah paused for a long moment. "Here's the deal," she finally said softly. "Sarah Walker is an invention of the CIA. People look at me and see this trained seductress. Admit it. That's what you see. But the reality is that I don't really see myself like that. I mean, I get that I have a weapon. I've been trained how to use it. I can get almost any man to do almost anything by flashing a smile and showing him some skin. But inside, I'm still that shy teenager. People look at Carina and me and can't tell the difference. I think that you're maybe the only man in the world who realizes that we're night and day. The truth is, I really don't know that much about sex. You've had more sex partners than I have. The CIA always assumed you knew what to do and how to do it before you got to the academy. I haven't actually had much sex and what little I did have I always insisted it stay very vanilla. You're probably noticed that I'm aggressive, but once we get started, I always let you take the lead. Carina would tell me all of these wild stories of what marks demanded of her and I would shake my head and laugh. They couldn't possibly be true. Bryce was always trying to get me to do things… but he was disgusting. I shut him down so often that he stopped asking."

Finally Sarah was able to smile a little. "So now my life has dramatically changed," she continued. "I find that I have a soul mate. He was the last thing I was looking for… but here he is. I honestly worship him. It's almost funny. He thinks that he gets how strongly I feel about him, but the honest truth is that he doesn't. If he did, he'd be scared a little. He's changed my life in so many ways, but especially in how I think about sex. Carina's sex act performances that previously sounded made up and disgusting are suddenly sounding real and pretty damn exciting. There's only one man in the world I trust enough to try them with. Fortunately, I'm married to him. I'm dying to experiment."

Chuck was very careful to not laugh. But he did smile. "Permission granted," he said.

So now Sarah was grinning. "It's more than that," she said. "You know me. I want to be perfect for you. You deserve that from me. I'm not used to being the aggressive one. You're the only one who knows exactly what you want, so I need your help. When you're playing the role of someone like Matlin, I want you to push me… just like he would. Become my sex sensei. Teach me how to be perfect for you. If I don't do something exactly right, don't let me slide. Like any good sensei, make me practice over and over until I'm perfect at it. And I know you. You're going to tell me that I'm already perfect. That's predictable. It's sweet, but it's not true. We both know it. Chuck I know this is not something you're asking for. This is something that I want to do… for both of us. You're perfect. It bothers me to think you're getting cheated. It makes me feel inadequate. Sweetie, I need to know that I've made every effort to make you happy. I know that you think it's silly, but this is important to me. I'm honestly asking for your help."

Wow. Chuck still knew that he couldn't laugh. But the idea that he was getting cheated in bed wasn't silly… it was ridiculous. One thing was for sure, she was being serious. He knew her well enough to understand that she was a perfectionist. "I'm not really comfortable treating you like that," he said. "In case you haven't noticed, I worship you too. I'm happy with our sex life."

Sarah nodded. "It's been perfect," she said. "I'm sure not trying to change that. I love, love, love that you're so generous with me. It was a wonderful surprise. Now I get that's simply your nature. Chuck Bartowski isn't naturally comfortable with what I'm asking for. I get all that. I even think that it's sweet. I don't want to change you. You're too nice a guy. So I'm putting it in terms of asking you for a favor. That's the beauty of this game. You wouldn't be treating me like that… Matlin would. Sweetie, please don't let this be weird. We should both have fun with it. It would really help me."

"And you'd be okay with that?" Chuck asked. "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do."

Sarah started laughing. "You're kidding, right?" she asked. "I don't know yet if there is something I don't want to do. It's all sounding pretty exciting. Chuck, sweetie, come on… this is getting a little ridiculous. You can't possibly be questioning that. It's a sexy game. You're the most respectful, generous man in the world. I trust your judgement. Later we'll talk about what was most exciting for us. If you asked for something that I found I didn't enjoy, I'll tell you… but I can't imagine what that would be. I'm eager to make some time all about you. I'd love the opportunity to prove that to you. I'm going to enjoy this on several levels. Look at me. Can you seriously not see that I'm on fire thinking about this? I've told you that until I'm blue in the face. You should have zero guilt. What's it going to take for you to believe it? Letters written in the sky in fire? Are you really going to make me beg?"

There was really only one possible answer. Chuck nodded. "Be careful what you wish for," he said with a grin. "You're definitely going to be begging. When a coke addict conquest begs for the opportunity to serve in exchange for her next fix, she should be naked and on one knee offering her panties for his trophy case, don't you agree?"

Sarah grinned and reached over to kiss him lovingly. "Thank you, sweetie," she said. "I owe you one. Don't hold anything back. If you think you're going too far… switch that thought off and go even farther. I hope that you have as good a time as I'm going to."

Chuck had to shake his head. She was being very serious. She was actually thanking him. When he blinked, it was no longer his wife standing there. It was a desperate coke addict praying that he'd allow her to use her body to pay for her next fix. And for a long moment, all he could see was red. Matlin was a disgusting animal. He prayed on defenseless women like this all the time. Sarah was next in his sights. If he ever had her in this position for real, it was hard to imagine what he'd demand. He couldn't be dead soon enough. On the other hand, his wife had just asked him for a huge favor. Oh, she was being very serious. In fact, her confession explained a lot that he was starting to wonder about. Sarah was an enigma. She was always the aggressive one, yet she wanted him to take the lead and push her. It's why she was always proposing bets. She had been trying to tell him something all along… and he was too self-absorbed to see it. That was something that had to be fixed. He reached for the hem of her shirt and slowly lifted it until it was over her head and on the floor.

Sarah was playing her role. She shyly covered her chest with her arms for a moment before finally lowering them to her side to give him the full view. "Thank you for this chance," she said. "I'll do anything you want."

"You're in complete charge."

x-x-x-x-x

It had been a long wild night and morning before they were finally able to get some sleep. Chuck and Sarah were still cuddling waiting at the apartment for Casey and Carina to pick them up. "Let's talk about tonight," Sarah finally said. "Assuming that you still can. You're going to be alone with Angel for quite a while."

"Yup," Chuck said with little enthusiasm. "And I suppose that means that you will be alone with Matlin. Please don't be mad, but I'm currently not interested in finding out how that could go."

That got them laughing. "I understand, sensei," Sarah said. "That actually exceeded my expectations last night, which is impressive considering that they were off the charts. You were an absolute pig."

"You said that we would talk," Chuck said. "Was there anything that crossed a line?"

Sarah was still laughing. "You were perfect," she said. "It was an excellent start. Thank you. It was the wildest night of my life. I can't wait for your next training session. Go even further next time. Having said that, sex, even with you in charge, isn't sounding all that attractive right now. But don't worry. I promise that he won't be having any fun tonight. You, on the other hand, have to convince Angel that you're interested… if you know what I mean."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Chuck asked. "I don't have an on / off switch, you know?"

That got Sarah laughing even harder. "I know that you don't have an off switch," she said. "I'm not sure about the on switch. It seems to be stuck. Sensei, I'm not kidding. I want to thank you for last night. It was important for me. I had a great time and learned some things. Making me pose for those pictures was a nice touch. It's exactly what someone like Matlin would do. I know acting like that isn't natural for you. But that's what made it so hot. We might have overdone it so soon before our mission tonight. But you have to find a way to make this work."

"Thanks," Chuck said sarcastically. "Here is where I could really use some of that super spy agent advice that you're always bragging about."

Sarah nodded. "You want my advice?" she asked. "Think of something sexy. I'm sure, given last night, you could think of something."

Chuck nodded.

Sarah could feel him against her leg. "Well done," she said with a grin. "Now I'm tempted to find out how many rounds are still left in that clip. What are you thinking about?"

"I'm not sure that I'm supposed to tell you," he teased. "Isn't it like the wish on the evening star? But it's easy. I'm going to think about the first night in Vegas, standing in front of the fountains at Bellagio."

To say that Sarah was surprised was understatement. That had been a very nice moment… one of the highlights of her life. But it really wasn't sexual. Chuck had just led her through a night of performances and hot sex acts that put anything that Carina constantly bragged about to shame. "Why so?" she asked."

Chuck shook his head. "Don't get me wrong," he said. "Ever since we've been together, I never doubted us. But it all seemed surreal somehow… like a really good dream. That was the moment that I knew in the core of my being that we were forever. It was the best moment of my life. How about you? What would you think about?"

Sarah couldn't have answered if she wanted too. She was too busy trying to blink the tears from her eyes. She could feel her lip trembling. She didn't want to totally lose it in front of him, so she buried her face in his chest. "My life is perfect," she finally said. "You're romantic when I need it and sexy when I need it. You constantly see things that no husband should ever have to see and you never complain. Chuck, how could you possibly be so perfect? It makes me feel…"

"A bit of fair warning," Chuck interrupted. "If you're about to say that you're inadequate, it's not going to go well for you. It would be much better if you just didn't say anything. I'm in no mood to hear something like that today, especially given the night you've just given me."

Like Chuck last night, Sarah didn't say anything. She just nodded.

Naturally, that got Chuck laughing. "Smart girl," he teased. "Here's the truth. I've been in love with you almost from the second I saw you. I knew that it was too much to hope for. You were larger than life… the most beautiful woman in the world… a badass who can kick anyone's ass and throw a knife into a flea's ass… a brilliant intellectual who can speak a million languages. I decided from day one, if I could get that girl to share her life with me, even if it meant that I had to share her with the greater good sometimes, I was getting a great deal. So now, I'm married to this Goddess. She asks me, as a huge favor to her, to think of wild things she can do to keep me on edge. I'm her sex sensei. It's too good to be true. I'm embarrassed that she's been trying to tell me this for over a week and I was too self-absorbed to see it. And, yeah, there are some things I never imagined would be part of my marriage. Tonight she's going to get felt up and maybe more by perhaps the most evil man in the world. But here's the truth. I'm having a blast. Even those not so good things aren't so bad… because I'm with you. What do I have to do to get that through to you?"

Sarah was desperately trying to hide the soft sobs. She just nodded.

Chuck pretended to not notice her sobs. He just affectionately rubbed her back. "I'm going to pull my head out of my ass and start listening to you and what you need," he said. "You're going to get better at letting me inside your walls and knocking me upside the head when I don't. Separately, we're both pretty flawed. But together, we fill in each other's gaps. Together, we're a force of nature."

"Together, we're unstoppable."

x-x-x-x-x


	11. Justice Delivered

_I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything._

 _I'm not really un-retiring… not yet anyway. This is not new content. In fact, it is almost ten years old._

 _This is the third of four stories in the Real Relationship arc rewrite._

 _Look, I get that interest in things Chuck has waned. That's as it should be. So, while I'd always love to hear from you, I'm not doing this for hits or reviews. I'm doing this for me. Hopefully you can enjoy it as well._

 **Justice Delivered**

x-x-x-x-x

To Chuck's surprise, Casey and Carina picked them up in a black limo. Casey was dressed as a driver. Carina was already in the back. "Here," she said as she handed Chuck and Sarah their earpieces. "You can't wear them until Matlin is gone. We can't risk that. Chuck, when he leaves with Sarah, go to the bathroom and put it in. After that we can talk you through whatever happens."

"Okay," Chuck said with a surprised look. "But what's up with the limo?"

Carina grinned at him. "You'll see," she said. "It's all going down tonight."

Chuck returned her grin. "Okay," he said. "But Casey, I hope you're not expecting a big tip. I didn't bring much cash. Maybe after we're done here, you can cruise the airport for a while."

"Keep talking moron," Casey said with a growl. "Just remember. It's not my wife who is going to seduce the scum of the earth tonight. Just imagine the STD's that he's managed to accumulate."

Chuck turned to his wife with a grin. She was already helplessly laughing. "That settles it," he said.

"No pictures tonight."

x-x-x-x-x

Matlin was waiting outside the limo when Chuck and Sarah walked up. Of course, he was really only looking at Sarah… specifically her chest. Angel was already sitting inside. "Charles, Sarah," he said. "Are we ready to party?"

Chuck followed Sarah into the limo. He knew his assignment. "Wow, Angel," he said. "You look very nice tonight. Is that a new dress?"

Maybe Chuck hadn't hit a home run. But Angel's smile said that it was definitely a sharp single. "Thanks," she said. "Yes it is. I've decided that I'm not working tonight."

"And Sarah," Matlin said. "You look simply delicious."

Actually Sarah did look delicious. Last night she was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Tonight she was leaving nothing to chance. It was time to get this guy to shut off his brain. She was dressed in a similar outfit as the club the other night in Vegas, except this was a dress… easy to take off. That meant her top looked to be spray painted on and was unbuttoned to a dangerous level. "Why thank you," she said as she licked her lips suggestively. "You too."

As soon as they arrived at the party, Matlin excused himself for a few minutes as he made the rounds greeting the other guests with Angel on his arm. Sarah practically dragged Chuck to the Coke room. "Come on, Charles," she said. "I've been looking forward to this all day." As soon as they were alone in the room, she turned to Chuck with a smile. "Is that a new dress?" she mocked.

"What about you?" Chuck responded with his own smile. "Did you forget your chap stick?"

x-x-x-x-x

After Chuck and Sarah were safely in the party, Casey pulled his limo up to the gate and flashed the lights. Sure enough, the gate quickly opened. Casey parked the limo in the lot. As soon as they were parked, Carina spoke. "Will you hold this for me?" she asked as she handed Casey something from the back. I'll need it back in a few minutes."

Casey dropped it in horror when he realized that it was Carina's bra. "Why would you do that to me at this particular time?" he growled in disgust.

That got Carina giggling. "Oh lighten up," she said. "You sure don't mind taking them off. I just wanted to see the look on your face."

After waiting for a few minutes, they sighted John Marsh as he exited another limo and walked towards the door. Carina quickly left the car and ran up to him. "Oh, Mr. Marsh," she called. "I have a message from Mr. Matlin."

Carina was a little winded from running after him. "Hi," she said. "My name is Carina. Mr. Matlin wanted to thank you for the fine job that you did last week. He wanted to reward you. I'm that reward. He wanted me to tell you that there is nothing off the table. If you will come with me, I think that I can give you a night that you'll never forget. Would you like that?"

Of course there was only one possible answer to that question. Matlin must really be happy. This girl with the spray painted dress was a full two notches hotter than the usual crack addict hooker that served as Matlin's reward system. Maybe he was starting to go for quality over quantity. Whatever the reason, there was no way he was turning this down. He spent a long moment checking out her perfect chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. "Sure, Carina," he said.

"Let's go."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck and Sarah were sitting on their same couch in much their same make-out position as last night. As it turned out both had apparently recovered from last night's sex marathon quicker than expected. So they were going at it pretty hot and heavy. When Chuck unbuttoned that extra button, Sarah knew that he was being serious. Any sudden movement and her dress was going to be bunched on the floor. She grinned at him in approval. "Yes, sensei," she teased. "Teach me the proper way to get naked."

They knew they had to take a break before Matlin and Angel approached or they would be sending the wrong message. Of course, Matlin didn't care. All he could see was the conquest that was now within reach. "Sarah," he said. "Angel tells me that Charles promised her that he would take some time to get to know her better tonight. Would you mind if you and I left them alone to talk for a while?"

Sarah was fairly careful when she stood up to avoid plopping out. "I think that's a great idea," she replied with a seductive smile. "Let me and Charles do another line real quick and we'll meet you two right here. Does that sound okay?"

It really didn't matter if Sarah's dress stayed on or not. Matlin wasn't seeing it anyway. "Sure," he said. "But please hurry. Angel is really anxious to start her talk."

It was a good thing that Angel didn't want to join them. As soon as they were in the coke room, Sarah put in her ear piece and indicated for Chuck to do the same. "Testing," Sarah said. "Casey, do you read?"

Casey was obviously waiting for them because his reply was instantaneous. "Loud and clear," he said.

"What is our status", Sarah said.

"Right on plan", Casey replied. "We have secured Marsh. Carina is in the back right now giving him a night that he'll never forget. I'm pretty sure that being tied and gagged with Carina kicking him in the crotch over and over is not what he had in mind. But, oh well."

"Great," Sarah said. "Expect me in five."

"Roger that," replied Casey. "We'll be ready. Will you be nude?"

Sarah ignored his shot. "Okay, Chuck," she said as she removed her earpiece. "You can keep yours in now. It's show time."

Chuck grinned. "I think I actually know what it means this time," he said. "It's going to be quite the show. Can I tell you something?"

Sarah nodded.

Chuck pulled her in for a kiss. "You're the sexist woman who's ever lived," he said. "I know that you're going to yell at me for this, but it's worth it."

Sarah could only smile as she watched Chuck's hand slide into her open top. "Why do you think I'm going to yell at you?" she asked. "For one thing, there are no restrictions on you putting your hand in my top. Do it any time or place you feel the urge. Normally, I'd maybe want you to concentrate on the mission. But given what we're both going to be doing in five minutes, this is probably good prep work. So thank you."

Her emphasis on the word 'both' actually got Chuck laughing. "I'm definitely getting the short end of this trade," he said. "This sucks. Matlin is going to think he has the sexiest woman in the world for five minutes right before he dies… and he's getting a great deal. I almost wish I was him."

Sarah's smile turned into a grin. "Be careful what you wish for, sensei" she said. "You are going to be him."

"We have another training session scheduled for later tonight."

x-x-x-x-x

Carina was in the back of the limo with Marsh. As Casey described, he was slumped in the seat uncomfortably with his hands securely tied behind his back. A gag was firmly in place. She clearly knew what she was doing when she tied him in that position. She stepped up to him and kicked him solidly in the groin. Her tone was faux sweet. "Let me tell you a little story," she said. "Once upon a time, I was a young undercover DEA agent. My assignment was to get close to Joel Matlin. It took some doing. After all, the man has a steady line of women willing to get naked with him. But I finally got there. I thought that I was doing real well. I had him thinking that I was his devoted girlfriend. Sure, I had to do some fairly distasteful things… he has a rather vivid imagination and doesn't understand what it's like to take no for an answer… but I was young and gung ho. I thought it was worth it."

Carina kicked him again. The groan though the gag said that he was in misery. "This is where the story gets interesting," Carina continued. "You used your DOD connections to tip Matlin off. Well, that didn't work out very well for me. As a matter of fact, it was downright bad. They say that blowing your cover is every female agent's worst nightmare. In my case it sure was. I got passed back and forth between ten men for fifteen days and left for dead. It was quite unpleasant. It actually messed me up for quite a while. I still have some nightmares from time to time."

Carina kicked him yet again. "I think you can understand that I'm not too happy with you," she said. "Shooting you in the head and leaving your lifeless body on the side of the road would be letting you off too easy. So I'm giving you one slim chance to survive tonight. I'm going to come back here in about an hour and you're going to tell me everything, and I mean everything that you know about this operation."

"Do we understand each other?"

x-x-x-x-x

When Chuck and Sarah exited the room, Angel stepped up to Chuck and grabbed his hand. "Come on, Charles," she said as she extended her hand. "Let's go someplace where we can talk in private. Would you like that?"

Chuck knew what he had to do. That didn't mean he had to like it. "Sure," he said. "That sounds like fun."

Of course, Angel couldn't leave it there. She flashed a gloating grin to Sarah. "We'll be back in a couple of hours," she said over her shoulder as she led Chuck away. "I'm sure you can find something to keep you occupied."

Chuck couldn't help but grin and shake his head. If Angel only knew how close she had just come to a serious ass kicking. Taunting this world class killing machine who had zero tolerance for being messed with couldn't ever be considered a very good idea. Fortunately… or unfortunately depending on what you were rooting for… Sarah kicking her ass around the room would have to wait.

Of course, Chuck had problems of his own. Angel led him into one of the private rooms. It actually was very nicely furnished, even nicer that the main hall. There was a plasma television hanging on the wall. Facing the T.V. was a love seat. A king sized bed was on the other side. Angel closed the door and locked it. She flashed him the smile of victory. "I want to make sure that nobody interrupts our 'chat,'" she explained.

Chuck considered his options. Angel's assignment was only to keep him occupied while Matlin had his way with Sarah. That really didn't require any sex. Maybe she would be satisfied with actually just talking.

Angel quickly answered his question. She pulled Chuck onto the love seat. "Come and sit down," she said. She then straddled Chuck on her knees facing him. She put her arms around Chuck and kissed him. Sarah was right. Kissing was the worst part of a seduction assignment. But Angel wasn't giving him much choice. After a few moments, she pulled back. "I told you that I was a better kisser than that bitch," she whispered with a coy smile.

"I'll bet I'm better at a lot of things."

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as Chuck and Angel left, Matlin turned to Sarah with a leer. "Well, Sarah," he said. "It looks like it's just the two of us for a while. What do you think that we should do for a couple of hours?"

Sarah couldn't help but giggle a little. Talk about a rhetorical question. Just the two of us? They were in a crowded room. He clearly wasn't bashful. He already had the front of her dress unbuttoned to the point of being irrelevant and his hand inside. He was leading her to one of the rooms. She knew that if they got there, the plan would need some serious revision. So she paused.

Matlin tried to pull her along. "I have a private room just for us," he said.

Sarah continued to giggle as she shook her head. "I feel so wild," she said. "If I'm going to apologize to you, I want to do it right. I've always had a fantasy about getting totally wild in a limo while we're driving. Do you think you could help me with that? I'd be oh so appreciative."

Talk about rhetorical questions. Matlin started laughing. "This is a side of you that I haven't seen before," he said. "I like it."

Sarah stood there while he groped her in front of the room. "I'm glad," she said. "There are lots of sides of me that you haven't seen before. I want to make it up to you for being rude yesterday and for your wonderful hospitality. If you come outside with me to the limo, I promise you a night that you'll never forget."

One look at his face and Sarah knew that this was over. She didn't bother to fix her dress. She just led Matlin wordlessly to the limo as they got in she instructed the driver to take them for a ride. As the limo passed out of the gates, Sarah turned to Matlin. "Joel," she said in a throaty whisper. "I'm so hot right now. Let me fully describe my fantasy."

Matlin simply nodded for Sarah to continue.

Sarah was grinning in the dark. "First," she said holding up a pair of handcuffs. "I tie you up. Then I'll do a little strip for you. Then, when you're all worked up, I'll show you some special skills that I have developed. I'm too embarrassed to say it out loud but I'm sure that you'll be more than satisfied. Does that sound like fun?"

Again with the rhetorical questions. Matlin nodded as he turned and put his hands behind his back so that Sarah could apply the cuffs. As soon as she had Matlin secured, she lowered the window to the driver's position.

Carina turned to face Matlin who had a shocked expression on his face. "Hi, Joel," she said.

"Remember me?"

x-x-x-x-x

Angel kissed him again, this time even more passionately. Chuck knew that if he didn't slow her down, he was in big trouble. After a minute he broke off the kiss. "Wait a minute," he said. "I thought that we were going to get to know each other."

Angel smiled. "What's the problem?" she asked. "This is how I get to know people. Charles, I can feel that you want this."

Thinking about the night at Bellagio had done its magic. Unfortunately that was a double edged sword. Angel was convinced. But she also was encouraged to take things to the next level. She was already tugging at his zipper. "Sure," he said. "But can't we talk first?"

Angel didn't slow down. She was grinning. "Why waste time doing that?" she asked.

She was reaching inside his pants. Chuck was desperate. "Angel," he said. "Are you working now or is this real?"

Fortunately that was probably the one card he could have played. Angel withdrew her hand and looked at the floor. "It's real," she said. "Why would you ask that? Are you trying to hurt my feelings?"

Chuck struggle to keep his huge sigh of relief hidden. "Of course not," he said. "It's just that real people talk first, and then have sex. Pros just have sex. If you want something real with me, you have to talk to me first. Otherwise, you're just working."

Angel nodded. "Okay, Charles," she said. "We can talk."

"What do you want to talk about?"

x-x-x-x-x

Once you were a mile away from the docks, the area was very deserted. Carina parked the car on a dirt road and came around to the back.

Matlin attempted to call for help. "Guys," he said into his chest. "Help me, I've been kidnapped."

Sarah grinned at him. "Relax, Joel," she said. "Do we look like amateurs? We knew that you're wearing a wire and that your impressive group of bodyguards monitor you constantly. Too bad that you've been out of range for the last few minutes. Since your bodyguards think that you're off getting laid… well, I doubt that they will come looking for you anytime soon."

Matlin looked around. They were calling the shots. Maybe he could bargain. "What do you want?" he asked. "I have lots of money."

He probably couldn't have said anything worse. "You can shove your drug blood money up your ass," Sarah said. She showed him the hypodermic needle before she injected the contents of his arm. "We want some information."

Matlin sneered at them. "You must be the stupidest cops in history," he said. "If you bitches think I'm going to break because of some sodium pentothal, you're sadly mistaken. Even if I did, my lawyers would get anything I said under duress thrown out in two minutes."

Carina grinned at him. "Actually, you're right," she said. "If we were in court, you'd have our asses. Unfortunately for you, we're not likely to ever be in court. So your Miranda rules don't really apply. This is a tad different. Back in the sixties, at the height of the cold war, the CIA developed this little drug. It's a derivative of arsenic. It's quite fatal. Not only that, this particular drug works by attacking the nervous system. It's quite excruciating. In about five minutes your nerves are going to start to die. As they die, they're going to be telling your brain all about it. It's going to be like nothing you ever felt. Now, if you were to tell us what we want to know, I might give you the antidote."

The look on Matlin's face told that he was starting to feel the effects of the drug. "Fuck you," he said.

Sarah's grin didn't fade. "Totally your call, Joel," she said. "Let me know how that works out for you. As long as we have a couple of minutes here, you said you wanted to see me in the back on my back." She went to back seat and plopped down flat. "Well, Joel," she mocked.

"Did it meet your expectations?"

x-x-x-x-x

"Okay" Chuck said with a calm smile. "I'll start. Is Angel your real name?"

Angel really had no reason to lie. She climbed off of Chuck and sat beside him. "No," she said. "My real name is Amy. But I've been Angel for a few years now. Nobody knows me as Amy anymore."

"So, Amy," Chuck said. "I'm not judging you. I'm just curious. Why are you in this business?"

Angel's smile took on a sad quality. "It's all that I know how to do," she said. "The money's great. And it's where the coke is."

A second ago, this was his enemy. Suddenly he felt sorry for her. "I'm sure you could do something else," Chuck said. "You seem very bright."

Angel's reply was probably a little more hostile than she intended. "Come on, Charles," she said. "Do you have a fucking clue how much money it takes to keep up a coke habit? You guys crack me up. You think that it's so easy."

Just then Chuck heard the best news of his life over his earpiece, "Okay, kid," Casey said. "We have him. It's time to get out of there. Meet me in the car."

Chuck turned to Angel. "You know, Amy," he said. "You could stop using so much coke?"

Angel shook her head sadly. "No, Charles," she replied. "No, I couldn't."

So now Chuck was really feeling sorry for her. She wasn't a bad person… not really. She was just trapped in a bad situation and in over her head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want to make you feel bad. We came in here to go to bed. I have to go to the bathroom. Why don't you get in bed and I'll be right back. Would that work?"

"Yes," Angel said.

Chuck hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll be right back."

x-x-x-x-x

Matlin was in obvious pain. "Come on," he said. "Please help me."

Carina was still grinning. "It hurts like hell," she taunted. "Doesn't it? This has only started. It's going to get ten times worst. Are you ready to answer some questions?"

Matlin had no choice. He was panting for breath. "Yes," he said.

"How are you getting the cocaine into the country?" Sarah asked.

Matlin paused for a moment. "It's shipped inside boxes made to look like video games," he finally replied. "We have a customs agent, Max Andrews, who makes sure that they don't get inspected."

"Does anybody else in customs know about this?" Sarah asked.

Matlin shook his head. "I don't think so," he said.

"When is your next shipment", asked Sarah?

"On Thursday," Matlin said while groaning in pain.

"How are you getting tipped off that you're being targeted?" Sarah asked.

"I have a contact with the police who knows whenever somebody undercover is assigned," Matlin said.

"And what is this contact's name?" Sarah asked.

Matlin knew that he was in serious trouble. He was struggling to breathe. "John Marsh," he said.

"Anybody else?" Sarah asked.

Matlin shook his head. "No," he cried. "Come on. I've answered all of your questions. Please give me the antidote. I'm really hurting. I can't stand this anymore."

Sarah opened the door and stepped out of the car. There was no question that he was telling the truth. It lined up with what they already knew. "About that," Carina said. "It's actually a funny story. We were lying about there being an antidote."

Sarah was not really a hugger… Carina even less. But they were tightly embraced as they walked away from the car to get away from the sound of Matlin's panicked screaming. "I won you bastard," Carina finally said.

When Casey and Chuck drove up, Carina was still sobbing in Sarah's arms. Chuck and Casey got out of the car and walked up to them. Carina wrapped her arms around Chuck. "I'm so proud of you," he said. "You won"

"No, Chuck," Carina corrected through her tears. "We won."

Finally, it was Casey's turn. "How are you doing?" he asked. "I've been worried about you."

Quickly enough the telltale twinkle was back in Carina's eyes. "Take me home," she said. "And I'll show you how I'm doing. I'll show you until you're tired of asking."

That got them all laughing. "Are you sure that you don't want Chuck to drive?" Sarah asked. "I'll ride up front and you guys can have the back seat. You're an expert at back seats. I mean, we do have to drop Marsh off but then again having an extra guy has never bothered you before."

That stopped Casey's laughing in its tracks. "Oh shit," he muttered.

"Not this again."

x-x-x-x-x

The debriefing couldn't have gone any better. Beckman was ecstatic. "Great job," she said loudly. "You've managed to destroy a major cocaine operation. We picked up Max Andrews. He and Marsh are singing like a choir. We raided the warehouse where the party was being held and we found about twenty million dollars worth of cocaine. We are meeting the new shipment Thursday and expect to be able to seize several hundred millions of dollars worth of cocaine. That should put a major dent into organized crime's finances for a while. Well done".

"Thank you ma'am," Casey said.

"And, Sarah," Beckman said. "If you could possibly keep that husband of yours from flashing on some bad guy for any length of time, feel free to take a couple of days off. You've earned them."

Beckman had to be in a good mood to be teasing her. And calling her Sarah? That was a first. "Don't worry, ma'am," she said. "I don't intend to let him out of the apartment for two days. He'll be quite occupied. Then, he'll probably be too weak to flash for a couple of more days."

Beckman actually grinned. "Okay," she said. "Just don't kill him. We need him."

Sarah pretended to consider that for a moment. "Yes, ma'am," she said. "I'll be careful."

"Good," Beckman said. "Dismissed."

Carina was already pouring the end-of-mission glass of wine. Chuck looked at it in his hand and turned to his wife. "I assume that your mission virginity is still intact," he teased.

Sarah was grinning. "Yup," she said. "I got felt up a little. You?"

"Yup," Chuck said. "I got felt up a little too. It lit the fuse. Maybe we should do something about that. As the fight guy says…"

"Let's get ready to rumble."

\- The End -

Sarah was jolted awake by her cell phone ringing. Chuck was still sound asleep. She looked at her phone and saw Director Graham's face staring at her.

"Sarah Bartowski, secure," she answered.

Sarah walked out of the bedroom and closed the door. "Yes, sir. I'm alone," she said.

"Yes, sir. Of course I remember."

"Yes, sir. I understand how important it is. Tell the President that I would love to help. But you seriously can't expect me to ask Chuck to agree to that. Not with Agent Larkin. It would kill him.

"Yes, sir. I fully understand my oath and how vital this is. You need to understand that I've also taken an oath to my husband. I'm afraid that he has to come first from now on."

"Sir, let's be clear. Are you threatening me? I thought that we had an understanding."

"I am calm. I just don't want to be threatened. I think that you know me well enough to understand that's not going to end well."

"I'll talk to him about it, okay, sir? But if he says no then I can't do it."

"Yes, sir. I'll let you know today."

\- The Beginning -

x-x-x-x-x


End file.
